FlexTime Alumni Spotlight

"Hi, my name is Omer Riaz, and I am a recent flex-time graduate from the Tepper MBA program. I have a background in software startups, and commercializing cutting-edge technologies. Five years ago, I moved to Pittsburgh to co-found a local CRM company. The next two years were an intense learning experience that gave me exposure to Sales, Marketing, Operations Management and Product Development. I was fortunate to be surrounded by outstanding business leaders. As the company expanded, I had the opportunity to work with a Tepper alum who revolutionized our processes, and made it possible for us to scale. At that point, I knew I wanted to pursue an MBA to acquire business skills that could deliver game-changing results, and I knew Tepper was the place to get them.

The three years at Tepper were similar to being on a perpetual internship - the principles I learned through the rigorous coursework were critical to my success in building out and managing a Professional Services organization at my company. During the last year, I switched focus to helping commercialize cutting-edge technologies developed at Carnegie Mellon. My education at Tepper helped me perform the complex market analysis and valuation which is often a critical part of commercializing research technologies. The communication curriculum helped me develop negotiation skills which I was able to put to work while negotiating terms with corporate legal teams.

As my time at Tepper came to an end, I had a number of options for future career paths. My interest lay in software products that could revolutionize the Healthcare industry. Here too, Tepper was critical to achieving my goal - an alum I had reached out to for advice on Product Management in Healthcare invited me in for an interview. After a thorough due-diligence process from the company's side and mine, I accepted a position with them.

All of the above are reasons for why I would choose Tepper again, were I to make a choice on where to go to B-school. The most important reason for why Tepper was a life-changing experience for me, however, is the people I got to know. As a member of the Tepper community, and as a student leader on the Graduate Business Association (GBA), I learned valuable lessons outside the classroom, and made bonds of friendships that will last a lifetime."