Mark Green, DM'10

UMUC Opened Doors That Otherwise Would Not Have Been Possible

Mark Green, D.M., credits UMUC for his being considered for his current position at PepsiCo, Vice President Quality Assurance, Global Beverages.

"I have always valued education as a way to increase my understanding of the world in general and specifically as a vehicle for advancement. When I was working in the textile industry over 30 years ago I went back to night school to get an MBA and used that degree to land a job in the food industry. I used this same approach, combining experience with new knowledge and a new degree, to pursue my current position at PepsiCo.

The leadership in PepsiCo R&D places high value on advanced degrees. When I was interviewing for my current job back in 2010 I was able to put on my resume that I was a nearly completed dissertation away from having my Doctor of Management degree. I was told later that this is what made me stand out from all the other candidates being interviewed.

Having a degree from a school such as UMUC definitely helped open the door at PepsiCo but the knowledge I gained from my professors and from the interactions with my cohorts prepared me to meet the many new challenges my current position demands. From building systems maps to understand difficult to solve work problems, to establishing cultural change management programs, to supporting sustainability goals for the Company, I can point to specific knowledge and/or experiences at UMUC that informed and improved the quality of decisions I have made.

Now that I have reached my 60th year I find myself thinking more and more about helping younger generations of managers and leaders develop their own personal portfolios. I am a Dean for our Quality discipline at PepsiCo which resides within our R&D College within PepsiCo University. I am helping shape the knowledge required in this space for the next generations. I am also a mentor for the American Society for Quality’s Rising Leaders program and get great satisfaction from helping others think differently about the world, themselves and their careers.

I consider myself very lucky to have been accepted into UMUC. It has enriched my life, improved my career, and allowed me to see the business world from different perspectives. In addition, as one professor, Dr. Jones once said, “it is really cool to be called Doctor”. ~ Dr. Mark Green (mdgreen1954@gmail.com)