Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.

I attended dental school overseas in the early 2000s. After immigrating to the United States to continue my education and career in dentistry, I developed a passion for the industry’s operational and business development side. Managing a couple of private practice offices, I joined large dental management groups called “Dental Support Organizations” where I served in various management roles. In the last five years, I served as the VP of operations at ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers based out of Denver, Colorado, joined Guardian Dentistry Partners as an SVP of operations, and was recently promoted to chief operating officer.

Why did you choose MBA@Denver?

Once I made the career decision of not pursuing the clinical route of dentistry and to advancing into the business and operational side, I knew I needed to develop new skills in strategy, finance, and leadership. An MBA program seemed like the right direction, but it was essential for me to find a program that fit into my busy schedule and provided the right concentration that could help me advance my career. MBA@DU stood out as an excellent choice for my goals with their seamless admissions process and accommodating schedule. They provided an MBA concertation aligned with my objectives: The executive leadership concentration.

How has the program impacted your current work and prepared you to be a leader in your industry?

As a trained dentist, I found that the program provided me with the critical fundamentals that I had not learned in the past like accounting, finance, and strategy. Those tenets allowed me to partner better with other functional leaders within my organization and make a more significant impact on my company. Furthermore, the case studies and group projects — primarily partnering with new teammates virtually (over Zoom) — prepared me for the new era of remote work during and post pandemic. The ability to partner with a new team to understand, discuss, and solve a complex project was a great skill to learn and implement in my current work.

What career successes did you see after graduating from MBA@Denver?

Shortly after graduating from MBA@DU, I was promoted from SVP of operations to COO in my current company. While many variables led to my career advancement, the skills I learned at MBA@DU provided a great foundation.

How did this degree move you closer to your long-term career goals?

As an operations leader, understanding financial statements and metric analysis is essential for my role. The MBA core courses provided me with the skills to do just that. In addition, my concentration in executive leadership provided me with the critical skills and tools I need to develop new leaders and build an agile organization.

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