Michigan State University MBA: Alumni

Alumni Profiles

Randall Dean
1997, Marketing and Finance

photo: Randall Dean

Current position:
Owner, founder, trainer and consultant – Randall Dean Consulting & Training
1881 Linden Street, East Lansing, Michigan (www.randalldean.com).

Randy is the lead trainer and consultant for his own consulting and training firm. He specializes in delivering advanced time management training programs for corporations and institutions. These programs cover time management principles and strategies, office organization recommendations, and a set of specific and unique strategies on how to get more from your planner or PDA (personal digital assistant) device.

Favorite Class:
I graduated from the Full-Time MBA Program in 1997, with a dual concentration in Marketing and Finance. My favorite professors were Glenn Omura and his Entrepreneurial and Competitive Strategies Course, and Naveen Khanna and Mike Mazzeo in the Finance Department. And of course, I can’t forget Jack Bain’s public speaking course, considering that is what I do for a living every day now!

Biography and/or work experiences since graduation from Broad MBA program:
Since graduation, Randy has had the opportunity to work in several interesting positions. From 1997 – 1999, Randy worked in the corporate headquarters of Procter & Gamble, as the Market Research Supervisor on the Rx-OTC switch of the megadrug Prilosec. Then, in early 1999, he returned to Michigan State to be the Director of Admissions for the Full-Time MBA Program at Michigan State University, where he helped the Broad Program ascend into the top 25 of all three major ranking services. After leaving MSU in mid-2002, Randy went to Pace & Partners, an award-winning marketing and advertising firm in Lansing, Michigan, where Randy worked as the marketing strategist. In this position, he developed strategic marketing and media plans, and coordinated client market research activities.

In early 2004, Randy decided to pursue a life’s passion and start his own training and consulting business, with a focus on time management and advanced PDA usage. During his time at P&G, MSU, Pace, and The Fetzer Institute (where Randy worked prior to getting his MBA degree), he developed and continued refining a training program on these topics, and had the opportunity to deliver training programs for each of these companies. Since he launched the business in early 2004, he has conducted very successful training programs for clients including the Broad MBA Programs (Full-Time, Weekend, and Executive), The University of Pittsburgh MBA Programs, The Ohio State University MBA Programs, The Michigan State University College of Law, The Fetzer Institute, and the Battle Creek KCC Regional Manufacturing Technology Center. He has also spoken to groups including the Detroit Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants and the Ann Arbor Chapter of the American Society of Training and Development. He is tentatively scheduled to conduct trainings or speeches later this year for The Grand Rapids GRCC Lifelong and Professional Education unit, MSU Executive Development Programs, and The Michigan Society of Association Executives, as well as repeat visits to several of his previously-mentioned clients.

What has been the impact of your Broad MBA?
The Broad MBA gave me both the credentials and the network to make my efforts at starting my own business viable. And, it opened the door for me to get into one of the most highly-revered global corporations from a relatively obscure background and upbringing. And of course, it greatly enhanced the skill set that has allowed me to be successful not only in major corporate and organizational settings, but also in the smaller and entrepreneurial efforts I am now involved in.

Your thoughts on success and careers goals:
It is pretty simple – find something that you love to do, that you are good at, and that you can get well paid for, and dive into it. And always keep learning, growing, and creating – that way, you’ll never get stale or old. I do believe it is important to always have specific goals and never stop reaching for them, but it is even more important to have fun along the way. You live a blessed life if you can do both. It really is the journey and not the destination.

Comments on effective management and leadership:
Surround yourself with good people, lay out a vision for them (and with them!), give them the tools they need to succeed, and then let them run. Use mistakes as learning opportunities, and spend your time helping them better themselves, and trying to learn as much from them as they learn from you. The ultimate compliment is when someone that has worked for you can ascend to a position at your level or higher – that means you’ve done a good job helping them become a better person and a better professional. And often, you also get to ride the crest of the wave of their success.

Any work related or career accomplishments:
I think these are pretty well covered in my bio section above. The only thing I might add is that my training programs are consistently getting ratings in the 95% to 100% “above average” to “excellent” range. It has been very nice meeting the client needs at such a high level, and hopefully bodes well for future growth and future training programs, books, and products that my firm is currently developing. And keep an eye out for my upcoming book, Major Satisfactors = Major Success.

Any other thoughts or comments:
Dive into those two years of the program, and get as much out of it as you can. It goes by awfully fast, so really leverage it as an opportunity to better yourself, improve your skills and knowledge, and make a lifelong network of friends. And don’t worry about taking a few chances when you are there – better to do it during your MBA program than when your job and livelihood depend on it. (Of course, taking calculated risks is what you need to do anyway if you want a chance at true success – you can’t leap a chasm in two small steps!)