Moore school alumna Lacey Wildes (’19 MBA) decided to pursue her MBA so she could expand her experience in supply chain and broaden her knowledge of the business field as an engineer.
From Summerville, South Carolina, Wildes obtained her undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech. After graduating in 2011, Wildes went on to hold multiple engineering positions at companies such as Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky Aircraft and now GE Renewable Energy.
Working at GE Renewable Energy has brought Wildes back to her home state as she now resides in Greenville, South Carolina.; she is currently a supplier quality engineer.
“With GE, I’m currently a supplier quality engineer, where I work closely with wind turbine blade manufacturers to ensure they are making good parts for our turbines,” Wildes said. “I visit these manufacturing sites often to audit their production and support process improvement using Six Sigma tools.”
After years in the engineering space, Wildes said she felt that obtaining an MBA degree would be a great opportunity for her to couple her engineering skills with more advanced business skills. She said having both of these skillsets would help her better understand the business and assist her in advancing in her career.
“I decided to pursue an MBA because I hoped to expand my experience on the supply chain side of my business,” she said. “Pairing my engineering background with the strong foundation in operations and project management skills that an MBA provides should help send me in that direction here at GE Renewable.”
When it came time to decide which university to enroll in for her MBA, Wildes knew that the Moore School Professional MBA program was the right fit for her.
“I chose the Moore School first for its reputation as an outstanding business school — and second because my dad is a 1983 alum,” she said.
Wildes said not only was she drawn to the Moore School because of its ranking and her familial ties but also because of the Professional MBA program’s flexibility. As a supplier quality engineer, Wildes has a busy schedule and appreciated the fact that the PMBA program allowed her to conveniently join classes from her laptop if needed.
“The Professional MBA program offered a great opportunity to be able to attend classes on campus in Columbia, South Carolina, or here in downtown Greenville, South Carolina, or online at home if needed.”
Since graduating from the Professional MBA program in 2019, Wildes has been applying the skills and knowledge that she gained from the Moore School in her everyday duties and responsibilities at GE Renewable Energy. She said she regularly uses the skills she learned about project management and negotiation tactics in her current position.
As she continues her career in the engineering space as a supplier quality engineer, Wildes looks forward to furthering her knowledge about business and continuing to advance in a field she is passionate about.
-Claire McGrath