Lindner grows full-time MBA program with class of 2025

Johnny Rungtusanatham, PhD, academic director, MBA programs

"We are very excited to welcome students into the full-time cohort MBA program," said Johnny Rungtusanatham, PhD, academic director, MBA programs, Ohio Eminent Scholar in Operations Management and Quantitative Analysis, and professor of operations, business analytics, and information systems. "Our program is highly selective, with the class of 2025 hailing from eight different countries and balanced with respect to gender. Roughly half have undergraduate degrees and work experiences outside of business, from civil engineering and criminal justice, to health services and journalism. This diversity mirrors the complex world of global business, allowing our students to truly appreciate how to work well together across cultural and geographical differences."

Get to know the class of 2025:

• 45% of the class have degrees from areas other than business
• Students represent eight countries: Afghanistan, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Palestine and the United States
• Average undergraduate GPA: 3.6
• 10% identify as LGBTQ+; 25% persons of color

Hear from four members of the new class about their motivations for pursuing a Lindner MBA, what they are most looking forward to and where they hope their education will take them.

Donovan Allen

Where are you from?

Reynoldsburg, Ohio.

What is your undergraduate degree and what school did you attend?

I have a bachelor's in political science with a certificate in foundations of cybersecurity from the University of Cincinnati.

What motivated you to pursue an MBA?

My motivation for pursuing an MBA comes from hearing peers who were part of similar programs speak highly about the connections they made, the involvement of the staff and faculty and my desire to gain business acumen while learning something new and different from my undergraduate experiences. I also want to inspire Black male and female students who are interested in pursuing higher education. No matter your background, with a plan, vision and a willingness to pivot, success is possible.

Why did you choose Lindner?

Since I attended UC for my undergrad and have been living in Cincinnati for the past three years, it made sense to continue my education at the Lindner College of Business. I also have peers from my undergraduate years who are now students at Lindner and speak highly of its prestige and the opportunities it provides. When researching the college, I found that almost every review mentioned how much the staff and faculty care about their students' success. One of my key motivators is having a strong support system of individuals who want the best for you and provide the resources to help you succeed.

What are you most looking forward to about your MBA experience at Lindner?

I am looking forward to taking more chances and risks. I enjoy trying new things and keeping an open mind about the opportunities that arise. I believe earning an MBA from Lindner will be a key to opening doors to endless opportunities and ventures in my professional career, with the goal of becoming a jack of all trades across multiple sectors. I feel confident that this program offers every resource to help me achieve this - whether it's studying abroad, accessing career fairs and workshops or even participating in icebreakers in class that reveal more than meets the eye.

What long-term goals do you hope earning an MBA will help you achieve?

I hope to gain substantial business acumen to complement my political and legal experience from undergrad and work locally in Cincinnati, focusing on community impact. I love volunteering and pushing for greater causes within my community. At the end of the day, I measure my success by how much I can help those around me. Additionally, I've always been surrounded by mentors and enjoy mentoring others, so I would love to work with local organizations like the Cincinnati Reds' community impact efforts. Long-term, I plan to attend law school after working for a few years, with a focus on intellectual property and corporate law then starting my own practice. This MBA is a pivotal towards becoming an attorney, blending my experiences in business and law to mentor and inspire others, especially youth who look like me, while navigating both sectors.

Maia Chess. Photo provided.

Where are you from?

I am from Cincinnati, Ohio.

What is your undergraduate degree and what school did you attend?

I received a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics, and the Public (PPP) and Economics from Xavier University. I am currently attending the University of Cincinnati College of Law and studying in a dual JD/MBA program.

What were your motivations for pursuing an MBA?

I chose to pursue an MBA degree because my long-term goal is to be a music executive. Therefore, understanding how a corporation functions and how to effectively be a manager and leader within a corporation is crucial to achieving this long-term goal. Further, this program will allow me to network and learn as much as I can about various industries.

Why did you choose Lindner?

I chose Lindner because Lindner has a wonderful reputation for embracing trailblazing business leaders. Further, since the UC College of Law was one of my top choices for attending a law school, I felt that getting a dual MBA/JD degree from Lindner as well as the College of Law would be convenient.

What are you most looking forward to about your MBA experience at Lindner?

I am most looking forward to networking, working with classmates who come from different experiential and academic backgrounds and learning as much as I can about how organizations function effectively.

What long-term goals do you hope earning an MBA will help you achieve?

I hope to use my MBA to be more competitive in the legal field before becoming a music executive in the far future. Those who work in corporate law and have a business background are much more valuable to firms and companies looking for legal talent as opposed to someone who does not have the required business acumen.

Léa Gourlay

Where are you from?

I am from Morlaix, a little city in Brittany, France.

What is your undergraduate degree and what school did you attend?

I have a bachelor's degree in applied foreign languages that I completed in France at the University of Western Brittany. I also have a master's degree in communication and project management around sustainable development from the University of Caen Normandy.

What motivated you to pursue an MBA?

I wanted to really develop my business acumen, as I didn't have that many business courses during my master's degree. I also chose to come to the U.S. to do my MBA because I want to live in the U.S. I did an exchange program two years ago and I loved living here!

Why did you choose Lindner?

I chose Lindner because I really liked the MBA program. I like that it is a one-year program (most MBAs are done in two years). I also wanted an American degree, and since I had already lived in the Cincinnati area, UC was definitely my first choice.

What are you most looking forward to about your MBA experience at Lindner?

The study abroad! We are going to Chile in March. I'm very excited by that. As an international student, I know how important it is to learn more about what is going on in the world, and I think that Latin America has so many things to discover.

What long-term goals do you hope earning an MBA will help you achieve?

My career plan is to work in a company that takes sustainability into account. I'd love to work on projects related to sustainability and to improve the impact of a company on the environment in general. I do believe that in order to lead change inside companies, I need to understand how those companies work. Hence why I am developing my business acumen.

Michael Lipps

Where are you from?

Cincinnati, but I have lived in Washington, D.C., for the last 11 years.

What is your undergraduate degree and what school did you attend?

I earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Purdue University.

What were your motivations for pursuing an MBA?

I was looking to enhance my management and business acumen in order to pivot out of the construction operations field.

Why did you choose Lindner?

I was looking to get back to the Midwest, and Lindner has a great reputation in the area.

What are you most looking forward to about your MBA experience at Lindner?

Meeting new people and reconnecting with the city as a professional.

What long-term goals do you hope earning an MBA will help you achieve?

I'm hoping to get into an analytical role with a company that allows me to use their own historical data to help make changes for the future.

Want to build your professional skills and develop your talents in a way that will open the right doors for you? Lindner's MBA program is small, personalized, customized and immersive. Our full-time, part-time working professionals and online programs have all gained national acclaim. Request more information or join us at a future information session.