Alumnus credits well-rounded International MBA program with preparing him for product manager role

International MBA alumnus Alec Klungle (’21 IMBA) did not let the COVID-19 pandemic interfere with his opportunity to study abroad. When he realized the official study abroad opportunities were limited because of the global pandemic, he partnered with one of his classmates, Robert Campos, to create an independent immersion in Guadalajara, Mexico.

The pair provided free marketing consultations for a Mexico City technology startup for a semester. The marketing skills he gained from that experience have contributed to his success with his current employer, Stryker, where Klungle improves lives for those in need of relief from the lifelong pain of end-stage ankle arthritis.

In his role with the medical device company, Klungle serves as a product manager for the global market-leading Total Ankle Replacement implant.

“My day-to-day responsibilities are never really the same,” he said. “One day I am developing promotions, the next I am solving supply chain issues and the next I’m working with engineers and customers on product development & launch strategy.”

Klungle’s time at the Moore School helped him adapt to the constantly changing environment he has experienced with Stryker.

“I now see a lot of aspects from the International MBA courses I took coming into play on the job,” he said. “Lessons I have learned from my marketing, supply chain and strategy classes have equipped me with tools and the corporate lingo necessary to approach big projects successfully in the workplace.”

He credits the International MBA program with enhancing his presentation skills.

“I had some idea of what it took to be a good presenter before the IMBA program, but I had no idea of how important a piece it would be to take into my position with Stryker,” Klungle said. “In the International MBA program, I had required presentations that made me more comfortable with my ability to showcase topics in front of an audience.”

In addition to the soft skills he strengthened during the IMBA program, Klungle also completed his Business Analytics Graduate Certificate.

“The Business Analytics Graduate Certificate taught me how to work with data and answer real-world questions in a business scenario,” he said. “It was extremely important that I learned how to manipulate and qualify data sets so that I can present quantitative answers to strategic questions.”

In the future, Klungle says he hopes to use what he has learned from the Moore School to one day lead a business.

“I hope to become a successful entrepreneur or CEO of an established company one day,” he said. “The lessons and skills the International MBA program taught me have laid the foundation for me to achieve this goal one day. I feel confident with the path my career is on and the progression I see it taking.”

-James Culbertson