Candidate:

Mr. Tech Mil-Veteran

About Me:

I started my career in the U.S. Army, where I learned to stay calm under pressure and lead with trust and clarity. Those lessons still guide me today as I work at the intersection of technology, leadership, and transformation.

Over the past two decades, I’ve helped teams tackle complex challenges, bridging technical depth with business strategy and building environments where people do their best work. Earlier in my career, I authored a book series on web services and served as a technical reviewer to other technical books, which opened doors to consulting opportunities that eventually led into leadership roles.

Recent highlights include a policy refresh that cut regulatory exceptions 45% and got us exam ready three months early, plus a sprint that delivered $260M in relief lending first 90 days of the pandemic. Day to day, I help steer 18,000 devices across three clouds and 800+ apps while keeping uptime near 99.9%.

I also mentor veterans and rising managers and advocate for inclusive learning in my community.

Outside of work, I’m a dad, a lifelong learner, and someone who believes empathy and self-discipline belong in the same conversation. I have dual degrees in Computer Information Systems and Computer Science and focused on growing into the kind of leader who builds trust, not just systems.

Schools:

Target School: Tepper

Considering: USC Marshall, Foster School of Business, Rice Business

See More Profiles For: Tepper

Application Status: Open

Details:

Undergrad School: TESU

Undergrad Major: BS, Computer Information Systems

GPA: 3.35

GMAT: TBD

Age: 55, Ethnicity: Hispanic or Latino

Other Degree/Certification: BA, Computer Science

School Name: TESU

Extracurriculars: Travel

Work History:

Title: SVP, Director Software Engineering, IT Policy, & Compliance

Industry: Banking & Finance

Company: Global

Length of Employment: 5 yrs, 6 mos

Title: Consultant

Industry: Technology

Company: Boutique Firm

Length of Employment: 10 yrs, 11 mos

Big Life Wins:

Two highlights I’m proud of:
– Led a policy and internal controls overhaul that cut regulatory exceptions by 45% and got us exam ready with the Federal Reserve three months early during a Large Financial Institution ($100B) transition .
– At home, used data, SMART goals, and steady advocacy to secure the right special-education accommodations for my daughter, which strengthened my patience and collaborative problem-solving.Both wins taught me that disciplined execution and empathy can live in the same room.

Post MBA Goal:

Desired outcome: grow into CIO or CTO leadership in financial services, shaping decisions where technology, risk, and regulation meet.
Near term (0 to 2 years). Deepen corporate finance, capital planning, and board communication, then lead a cross-functional modernization program with ROI cases tied to time-to-market, reliability, and control quality. Impact should be measurable.
Mid term (3 to 5 years). Step into enterprise technology leadership on the CIO or CTO path, build secure cloud-first platforms, raise governance maturity, and report outcomes in clear board language that links investment to risk reduction and business growth.
Personal. Expand mentorship for veterans and rising managers, and keep advocating for inclusive learning in my community so my leadership scales beyond my own team.

Odds:

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The Experts Rate The Odds At: 75%

See what the industry experts have to say:

John A. Byrne, P&Q Founder & Editor-In-Chief | Odds Assessment: 75%

You are an incredibly impressive candidate! Your portfolio of accomplishments far outweigh a typical MBA applicant in the pool. But the challenge here is your age which I am sure you already know. At 55, you would be nearly three decades older than the average person in most full-time MBA programs. As a result, you may well find that your classmates will not add nearly as much value in a classroom discussion than you will. Even so, you seem open to learn, to develop, and to grow–all key elements for an admissions committee. That said, I think you would be much better served in an Executive MBA program where you’ll find more experienced managers and executives. If you are applying to Carnegie Mellon’s hybrid MBA, …

You are an incredibly impressive candidate! Your portfolio of accomplishments far outweigh a typical MBA applicant in the pool. But the challenge here is your age which I am sure you already know. At 55, you would be nearly three decades older than the average person in most full-time MBA programs. As a result, you may well find that your classmates will not add nearly as much value in a classroom discussion than you will. Even so, you seem open to learn, to develop, and to grow–all key elements for an admissions committee. That said, I think you would be much better served in an Executive MBA program where you’ll find more experienced managers and executives. If you are applying to Carnegie Mellon’s hybrid MBA, however, that is a different story because the age range in that programs skews older. So if that is your aim, I think the odds are very much in your favor. If it’s Tepper’s full-time program, I think the odds are against you. My advice: Spend the time to speak to EMBA students/alumni at your target schools and try to attend a class session or two. Those conversations and your personal impressions from a class will help you make the right choice. My odds are for Tepper’s hybrid option.

1 month ago Read the full review