International MBA candidate blending military leadership with business innovation and strategy

International MBA candidate Patrick Dowling, ‘27, has discovered a passion for combining his military leadership experience with the skills he is learning from Moore School courses on business analytics, artificial intelligence and strategy.

“I chose the IMBA program at the Darla Moore School of Business because it excels in educating and training people for global operations,” says Dowling, who is also specializing in business analytics, AI integration and implementation and strategy. “In the modern business world, everything is global, and the Moore School is the No. 1 spot in the country to learn how to navigate the challenges brought on by global business.”

Along with pursuing his IMBA, Dowling’s military experience has provided him with adaptability and a unique perspective.

“My military experience gave me numerous skills and advantages that I have brought with me to the Moore School,” he says. “The U.S. Army teaches its leaders how to make decisions with limited amounts of information, and it challenges you by placing you in roles of immense responsibility at a young age. This type of development is rarely found in the private sector, and I’m thankful every day for my experiences in the Army.”

Dowling, inspired by the leadership lessons of the Army and the opportunities at Darla Moore School, is committed to developing the expertise to foster innovation, integrate emerging technologies and shape the future of global business. 

“I aim to use every single skill I can acquire from the Darla Moore School, but specifically, I am excited to utilize my AI integration certification and my strategy certification in tandem and help businesses integrate AI in all facets of their operations and to help them scale to its use,” Dowling says.

Driven by a passion for uniting human insight and transformative solutions, he aims to leverage his military-developed leadership abilities and analytical expertise to strengthen performance across multiple sectors.

“I hope to combine my soft skills and leadership skills gained in the military with my AI and strategy hard skills to help enhance business practices across a variety of industries, leveraging the full integration of people and tech,” Dowling says.

-Amanda Green