Meet Duke Fuqua’s MBA Class Of 2019

James Couch

Duke University, Fuqua School of Business 

Describe yourself in 15 words or less: Husband and devoted volunteer with a passion for healthcare and developing the community

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois 

Fun Fact About Yourself: Baseball was my first love, and I’ve always been passionate about making the sport available to everyone. During undergrad, I co-founded the club baseball team at Howard University that had an active role in the Washington, D.C. community. The team continues to play competitively, and is looking to be reinstated as a Division 1 team one day!

Undergraduate School and Major: Howard University, Finance

Employers and Job Titles Since Graduation: 

Eli Lilly

• Sales Representative – Diabetes Primary Care (2017)
• Financial Analyst – Global Research & Development – Alzheimer’s Disease, Diagnostics, Neuroscience, Bone Muscle & Joint, and Urology Portfolios (2014-2016)
• Financial Analyst – Planning, Forecasting, and Reporting – Center of Excellence (2012-2014)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: When I was responsible for the Alzheimer’s Disease portfolio, one of my tasks was to help create a new approach to how one of our larger clinical trials was operated and managed. I served as the financial lead for the Six Sigma project, and I was able to influence our strategic direction and insure we achieved our financial goals. I was also able to offer several alternatives to help reduce costs while maintaining trial integrity. In the end, we were able to create a new trial design that reduced the overall budget by approximately $50 million, allowed us to gain internal expertise, and ultimately reduced time to market for one of our largest clinical trials by about 6 months. The new design has since been implemented and has encouraged other trials in the portfolio to take on similar designs in hopes of bringing revolutionary products to the patients that need them most.

Looking back on your experience, what one piece of advice would you give to future business school applicants?  The first piece of advice I’d give to anyone is enjoy the journey! You will spend what feels like an eternity prepping for, stressing about, and taking the GMAT (possibly several times) combined with countless reiterations of essays and recommendation letters. Although it can be a daunting process, use this time to truly understand who you are and what you want to do with your career. This will be one of the few times in your life where you are encouraged to be selfish, so take full advantage of it! Take time to document your personal qualities (strengths, weakness, passions, etc.) and your professional experiences (accomplishments, failures, etc.) and share them with your network. If taken seriously, the application process will serve as a great opportunity to self-reflect and develop your “why.”

In addition to enjoying the journey, make sure to do your research. While ranking and GMAT averages are important, really determine if a school is the right motivational fit for you. Before you apply, I recommend looking into the current class of first-year students as well as the careers of the recent graduates. Also, make sure you’ve spoken with other applicants, current students, recent graduates, and alumni to get their perspectives and understand if the school’s culture is right for you.

Don’t forget about why you chose to pursue your MBA, and remember to sit back and enjoy the ride!

What was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you?  The key factor for me was definitely the people. The Team Fuqua culture resonated from the very beginning of the application process. Whether it was alumni in the office, or first-years with similar career interests, everyone was open and willing to share their Fuqua experience and also had a genuine interest in getting to know me.

Fuqua was also a great fit for me because of the team-oriented environment. I find that I work best in environments where people work together to achieve a common goal, and everyone is able to showcase their strengths for the good of the team. The moment I accepted, the support increased ten-fold, and I was quickly embraced by several groups and organizations within the Fuqua community to ensure I had a smooth transition. The sense of family was so strong at the school, and it truly felt like home the moment I stepped on campus.

In addition to Team Fuqua, I was also interested in the Health Sector Management (HSM) program. I knew I wanted to continue my career in healthcare, and the HSM program would give me the tools necessary to be a successful leader in a large healthcare organization. Not only will the program allow me to increase my healthcare knowledge, but it will also provide me the opportunity to become certified in health sector management.

What would success look like to you after your first year of business school?  A successful first year would mean that I was able to be a strong contributor in the classroom, gain international experiences, and be an active member in the community. I feel that I would have successfully contributed to the classroom if I have asked thought provoking questions and shared my experiences, and also encouraged my peers to share their insight to foster learning for the broader classroom.

As far as international experiences, success would allow me to not only have the opportunity to travel internationally, but also learn and immerse myself in the cultures of my international classmates. Lastly, I’d like to get involved in the Fuqua community through clubs and organizations on campus, and in the local Durham community through mentoring and community leadership initiatives.