Shaping well-rounded business leaders: A MiM alumnus’ Kellogg journey
In the world of business education, Kellogg is known for shaping leaders who can combine strong analytical skills with compassion. Among its many programs, the 10-month Master in Management (MiM) is uniquely designed to develop advanced skills in communication, leadership and innovation thanks to rigorous coursework taught by world-renowned faculty.
MiM students at Kellogg benefit from a holistic education that goes beyond just technical skills. The degree emphasizes the importance of soft skills in the business world giving graduates a competitive edge in a rapidly changing landscape. The MiM Program has proven to provide a transformative experience for students like Ethan Rosen ’22, ’23 MS, who graduated from the program this past June. Learn more about his journey through the MiM Program and how it contributed to a well-rounded skillset as he begins his post-graduate career in the investment banking industry.
A foundation at Northwestern
Rosen's path to Kellogg began at Northwestern University where he pursued his undergraduate degree in organizational change with a minor in business. Although Northwestern does not have an undergraduate business program, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to attend a school that he knew offered a world-class academic experience and would allow him to achieve his personal goals.
“I loved my time at Northwestern as an undergrad," he reflects. “I was involved in varying capacities in our finance community as well as the technical and career-oriented clubs — both as a mentee and mentor. Mentorship has always been important to me throughout my time at Northwestern as a whole.”
Mentorship ultimately played a role in his decision to explore the MiM degree. He learned about the program through a couple of older students whom he considered friends and mentors. Their motivations to pursue the degree resonated with Rosen: it was an opportunity to learn the technical skills needed to enter the finance field, while also choosing from a rich tapestry of classes that would expand his skills in leadership, management, and strategy — all of which, he says, may not be as much of a priority for recent grads.
Another appealing aspect was the “3+1” offering that would allow him to consolidate his undergraduate education at Northwestern within three years, and then spend his fourth year taking classes through the MiM at Kellogg — creating the ideal bridge between his academic background and his aspirations in the business world.
Applying management concepts to a career in finance
Throughout the MiM journey and as he ventured into his career, Rosen discovered that effective communication, sound leadership and innovative thinking are important tenets as a new graduate navigating the professional world.
One facet of the program that particularly left an indelible mark on Rosen was the analytics coursework, which he didn’t necessarily expect would be relevant to his future career in finance. During one course, Rosen recalls collaborating with a group of peers to craft a business problem and then utilize data to support a solution. "Certain skills are developed through hands-on, practical experience, not necessarily from textbooks," he notes. “The MiM Program laid the foundation for us to apply these skills in real-world scenarios."
The MiM program also emphasized that being a business leader calls upon more than just being able to take inputs and turn them into outputs — it requires zooming out and looking at the bigger picture. “It's extremely valuable to know how to craft a message to different audiences and to approach things from both qualitative and analytical perspectives.” He emphasizes that the MiM Program equipped him with both the technical knowledge and essential soft skills needed to thrive in his current role as an investment banking analyst at Greenhill and Co. in New York.
While Rosen's professional journey is in its early stages, he feels excited to navigate the complexities of the business world. “I think I’ve entered my career more prepared than I would have had I not done the program from both a technical and leadership perspective. I’ve learned to be more conscious about approaching business problems from the 10,000-foot view and leveraging various strategies I learned during class.”
Tight-knit community coupled with a global network
As the class president of the program, Rosen experienced the tight-knit community that Kellogg fosters. He saw the significant time commitment of the MiM Program as a positive aspect as it allowed him to build strong relationships within his cohort. The vast diversity of the cohort enriched his experience even further.
"Our group ranged from students who were business-oriented and data-driven to others who were more communications-focused or who came from a liberal arts background. Whatever your background and career aspirations might be, your approach to problems is valued and embraced,” Rosen says. “That diversity of thought lends itself to a much more cohesive and creative learning environment.”
Additionally, he appreciates that about half of his courses were intermixed with Evening & Weekend MBA students. These working professionals brought extensive professional experience and valuable perspectives to the table during class, something that Rosen asserts might not be part of a traditional undergraduate business program.
His Kellogg experience was not limited to the classroom. “All MiM students are required to participate in Global Initiatives in Management (GIM), during which you spend winter quarter learning about a country's culture, politics, economy and business landscape. As a cohort over spring break, you then visit that country and surrounding areas depending on the schedule.”
Rosen’s cohort traveled to Croatia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia gaining firsthand insights into these countries’ markets and cultures. The group met with local companies to learn about how they navigate business within their respective countries’ geopolitical and economic landscapes, giving students the chance to look at problem-solving from a non-U.S. angle.
“It's part structured, part unstructured — which contributes to a bonding experience within the group. The cohort-wide trip is a truly unique experience that MiM offers over other degree programs.”
A holistic approach to business leadership
Rosen’s journey as a Kellogg student is not over just yet. He's been accepted into the Kellogg Future Leaders Deferred Enrollment Program with the option to matriculate between 2025-2028 and looks forward to continuing his business education.
Rosen’s advice to aspiring MiM students is to embrace a holistic approach to learning. He encourages students to explore and take advantage of a wide array of disciplines — even if they have a specific career goal in mind.
“When I came in, my goal was to take mainly finance classes. I ended up taking classes like Analytical Consulting Lab with Professor Joel Shapiro or Business Analytics with Professor Donald Dale. Statistics and data analysis were not really part of my toolkit before, but I was able to learn them at a high level to be able to call upon those skills if ever needed professionally or academically.” In Analytical Consulting Lab, Rosen and peers merged statistical analysis and predictive analytics with business strategy to garner and deliver insights on a business problem. “I think this perfectly captures the value of the MiM program— cross-disciplinary, collaborative and a perfect opportunity to be intellectually curious.”
If you're an ambitious recent graduate looking to reach higher with a foundation in business, the Master in Management degree at Kellogg could be your next transformative step. Find out more here.
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