Each week, JWMI profiles students and alumni in its new featured series “Winning Voices.” Learn about our diverse community and what sets our program apart from those who have experienced it. For more great “Winning Voices” content, click here.
Noel Pixley
Engineering Manager
Consarc Corp.
Program/Concentration: Jack Welch MBA
TELL US ABOUT YOUR JOB RESPONSIBILITIES AT Consarc Corp.
In my current role as Engineering Manager at Consarc Corp., I am responsible for 10–12 engineers and $50–70 million in capital equipment design and fabrication. I oversee the design of Vacuum Induction Melt furnaces, Vacuum Arc Remelt furnaces, Electroslag Remelt furnaces, and Vacuum Precision Induction Casters, mostly for the aerospace industry.
HOW HAS THE JWMI CURRICULUM HELPED YOU IN YOUR CAREER?
When I started this program in 2017, my goal was to achieve an engineering manager position by the time I completed my degree. I worked for Ametek at the time, and I realized that they placed a high value on an MBA, and I reluctantly began the journey. At the end of 2018, my boss at Ametek took a position at another company. I was a little less than halfway through this program. Still, there was a vacancy, so the VP of engineering promoted me on an interim basis to Engineering Manager responsible for engineers in three facilities, including some dotted line responsibility in our Shanghai factory. After about a year in the job, a position opened at Consarc Corp. for Engineering Manager overseeing vacuum induction remelting furnaces. I called them, my recent management experience, coupled with my experience in the vacuum industry, I was hired! I currently manage 12 engineers with about $70M of projects under my direction worldwide. I am also on track for a Vice President position in the next five years.
I called them, my recent management experience, coupled with my experience in the vacuum industry, I was hired! I currently manage 12 engineers with about $70M of projects under my direction worldwide. I am also on track for a Vice President position in the next five years.
Why were you looking to get an MBA?
I admit that when I started the program, it was solely for the credential; I was sure that over twenty years of experience was good enough for a leadership path, and I was a little indignant that it wasn’t. However, the things I have learned have been so worthwhile that I came to understand the value. This is especially true in the areas of leadership, persuasion, and communication. I give the nod to emotional intelligence as well, I am still weak in that area being a technical guy, but I see the value and am working on it.
How did you navigate school, family, and work? What strategies did you implement to get it done?
Navigating family and work while going to school is always hard. My best strategy was to carve out time every week in three blocks:
- Do the reading and whatever other research had to be done for the DQ and/or an assignment.
- Allocate time to write a meaningful DQ
- Challenge yourself to respond to others’ DQs thoughtfully
Please share any advice for new students embarking on the MBA journey.
My advice is simple:
- Always do your DQ’s and assignments on time, no matter what, no excuses.
- Treat every subject as an opportunity to learn something new, rather than just something you have to complete.
- Dig into your classmate’s DQs, read their sources, and challenge their premises. Treat your responses with as much detail as your DQ.
- Always be thinking about how the subject relates to your job and the job you want. Don’t be afraid to say, nope, this will not work for me. But, if you do, make sure you can defend it.
Connect with Noel Pixley on Linkedin
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