Peculiar MBAs Episode 7: Ross Pate
In this episode of Peculiar MBAs, we talk with Ross Pate about one of the more unconventional MBA journeys we’ve featured, from computer engineering, to Army Special Operations pilot with seven combat deployments, to leading operational analytics at Amazon.
Ross shares how his MBA from the Syracuse University (Martin J. Whitman School of Management) became the bridge for his post-military transition, why “vocabulary” was the most valuable thing he gained from business school, and how military leadership principles, like knowing what’s really an emergency versus what just feels like one, translate surprisingly well into the corporate world. He also opens up about building a team by promoting hourly employees into analytics careers, and offers a memorable take on imposter syndrome: it’s not a red flag, it’s a sign you’re growing.
Tune in for a conversation about reinvention, differentiation, and finding your place after a completely different career.
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