Justin M Speller 

Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business

“Innovation strategist who loves connecting people, building teams and Cartman from South Park.”

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Fun Fact About Yourself: I was mistaken for comedian Chris Tucker for three months while abroad in Paraguay.

Undergraduate School and Major: Emory University, Human Biology and Anthropology

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Bank of America, Assistant Vice President-Implementation Consultant

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I’ve had the opportunity to build and roll out a Learning Management system that has impacted 40,000 students a year to date.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? I would describe the classmates I’ve met thus far as collaborative. Everyone I’ve met is accomplished, yet no one boasts about what they have done in the past. Everyone is laser-focused on helping each other get to the next level. The collective mindset of my classmates is “let’s use our individual expertise to come together and accomplish things as one class.”

Aside from your classmates, 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? Aside from my classmates, the key factor that led me to choose this program is the strong alumni network. I was running through the Seattle airport with my Indiana sweatshirt trying to catch a flight and out of the blue I hear “Hoo Hoo Hoo Hoosiers!” (which is our Indiana chant) and was immediately greeted by a third-generation Kelley alumna and his wife. It was then that I recognized the vast reach of the alumni network and instantly knew where I wanted to spend two years.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I look forward to having the chance to participate in Globase, the program that sponsors international nonprofit consulting opportunities. I want the opportunity to gain international leadership experience and help change someone’s life forever. With the Globase program, I will be able to gain exposure to working abroad.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process?  The most challenging question I was asked is “Why shouldn’t you be accepted to our program?”

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? After five years in the consulting industry, I felt I was able to engage in conversations with business executives, but I was not able to dive deep into advanced business topics. Since I completed my undergraduate education in science, I knew in order to take my career to the next level I had to pursue a graduate business degree.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Rochester-Simon, Ohio State-Fisher, University of Maryland Smith, University of Minnesota, Georgia Tech-Scheller

How did you determine your fit at various schools?

U.S. News & World Report Ranking
P&Q Ranking
P&Q School Profile
Clear Admit Class Profile
Fall Event Visits
Diversity Weekend Visits
Consortium Maps Events
MBA Tour Event

I knew Kelley fit my career goals because of the long history of outstanding placements of the alumni. Kelley alumni touch every industry. It’s comforting knowing whatever I want to pursue there is a Kelley standing by to assist.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? My defining moment was coming out to my best friends my senior year of undergrad. After I did that, I was able to fully be my authentic self and I believe that has allowed my personal and professional life to fully bloom.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? In 10 years, I see myself in a senior leadership role heading up a therapeutic area in the pharmaceutical industry.