Joshua Simer, '08 MBA

Background (where are you from, etc)
I was born in Minnesota and grew up in Wayzata. I went out east to Harvard to pursue my undergraduate degree in Computer, Electrical, and Systems Engineering. I then served seven years in the Army as an Infantry officer, including three years overseas in Kuwait and Korea. In 2004, I returned home and started the full-time MBA program at Carlson. In 2005, I was mobilized and deployed to Iraq for two years, and returned to finish the FTMBA in 2007-2008.

Why Carlson?

1. The "just right" size. The program is small enough to foster good interaction among students and faculty. However, you have the assets of an enormous university available to you as well.
2. The opportunity to participate in the New Product Design and Business Development program. No other school had a program like this to bring different disciplines together to solve real-world problems.
3. The reputation, particularly locally. The Carlson School may be underrated nationally, but locally, people know that it is a world-class school and its graduates are top-notch.
4. I perceived that the Carlson School would be more supportive than most if I were mobilized to active duty while in the program - and this proved to be very accurate. I am very grateful to Steph Nichols and the MBA office staff for their assistance before, during, and after my 2-year deployment to Iraq.

Why MBA/MILI?

I decided to pursue an MBA because it seemed a logical step in my personal and career development. I had extensive leadership experience from the Army, and felt that an MBA would best position me to continue building on that in the civilian world. I was interested in the medical industry because of its strong history in Minnesota and because I felt it was an industry in which the outcomes really mattered. When I started at Carlson, there was no MILI program and I tried to design my own specialization to prepare for a career in the medical industry. When I returned from Iraq, the MILI was up and running, so I immediately got involved.

Dream job

My dream job in the immediate future is a product manager and/or product development team leader in the medical industry. I think those positions would best make use of my skill at understanding and integrating different functional areas, as well as my leadership ability. In the longer term, I see myself in a position to mentor and develop other product managers and product development team leaders.

What do you do when not in class?

I am the S-3 (Operations Officer) for 1st Battalion, 194th Armor Regiment in the Minnesota National Guard, responsible for current operations, planning, and training management for 1100 soldiers. I also enjoy watching my 2-year old daughter explore the world, and I am a die-hard NASCAR fan (go Jr)!

Greatest accomplishment so far

Organizing all the techniques and procedures our soldiers developed while in Iraq into training package that other units preparing for deployment could use.

Favorite movie or book

Favorite movies: Glory, When Trumpets Fade, No Country for Old Men, The Green Mile, The Best Years of Our Lives
Favorite Books: The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, Atlas Shrugged, Maus

What do you see as greatest need in medical industry?

Finding ways to better align incentives with desired outcomes for all parties involved.

New Product Design and Business Development. It is the best opportunity that exists for MBA students to develop and exercise leadership, and to interact across functional (and institutional) boundaries on a project. I regret that I am graduating before the MILI enterprise class gets started, because that looks like it will also be an excellent opportunity for leadership and cross-functional interaction - I think taking that together with NPDBD would be an excellent combination.

Most rewarding MILI experience

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