Alumni Profile: Randy Wostratzky, MBA 2010

Randy Wostratzky
MBA 2010

• Concentration: Finance and Entrepreneurship
• Pre-Degree Industry/Field of Work: Finance/Consulting
• Post-Degree Industry/Field of Work: Finance/Consulting
• Undergraduate Degree: B.S. in Finance
• Undergraduate Institution: University of Illinois-Champaign
• Current Employer: Spectrem Group – Manager, Business Development
• Linkedin Profile

Why did you return to school to obtain your Graduate Business Degree?
As I began to grow my professional career in my 20’s, I realized that I wanted to have more in-depth knowledge of certain business issues that I would not learn in my current line of work. Before consulting, I worked for a bank; and before that I was an equities trader. I have always had a wide range of topics that were intriguing to me, but was also aware of the fact that I couldn’t embrace all of these things with my profession. Business school allowed me to engage the passion I had for these other topics I was not able to work with on a professional basis.

Why did you choose UIC Liautaud?
UIC Liautaud has an amazing curriculum, great professors, and a strong dedication to the Chicago business community. On top of that, it was an incredible value compared with other accredited MBA programs, and I was also a big fan of the semester class schedules (instead of quarters).

What has been the most unexpected gain resulting from your Liautaud degree?
The entreprenuerial spirit that UIC Liautaud stands for is something that has had a profound affect on me. I have never thought of myself in an innovative/entrepreneurial way; but there is a certain part of the Liautaud culture that makes you think about different business situations as if you were running things on your own.

Which course or professor was your favorite and why?
Professor Dale Rosenthal – Market Microstructure and Electronic Trading. Not only was this an amazing experience because of my background as an equities trader, but having Dale as my professor for this class was easily one of the highlights of my time at UIC Liautuad. His practical, real-world experience combined with his incredible academic intellect made it the most fun and beneficial class that I have ever had.

What was your favorite aspect of the UIC Liautaud program?
Being a part of the MBA Association was something that really enhanced my experience at UIC Liautaud. The opportunities that I had to bond and network with my fellow students were amazing, and some of the events put on by the MBAA were both fun and academically relevant.

How would you define the Liautaud student?
Intelligent, Creative, Practical.

Now that you’ve graduated, what advice do you have for current and/or prospective Liautaud Students?
If you’re going to be a part-time student while still working full-time, you need to learn how to budget your time properly. Certain times of the year are going to be busier than others, and in order to make sure you don’t burn out there needs to be a plan in place that makes your homework and studying time consistent. It’s not undergrad. You can’t just wait until the last minute and cram for a test or analyze a case study in a day or two. There needs to be a scheduled consistency to the way you manage your work with your academics. If you don’t manage your time properly, stress levels can get pretty high in a very short period of time.

Is there anything else that you’d like to share with the Liautaud community?
Yes. GET INVOLVED. Don’t just go to class, study and move on. Join a club, volunteer for helping in the UIC Liautaud office, and go to events that the school puts on. Not taking advantage of all that UIC Liautaud has to offer is cheating yourself. There are endless opportunities just waiting for you at UIC Liautaud……but it’s up to you to go out and grab them.

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