2016 MBAs To Watch: Chris Hartlage, Notre Dame (Mendoza)

Chris Hartlage

University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business

Age: 25

Hometown: Louisville, KY

Undergraduate School and Degree: University of Kentucky, B.S. Biology

Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Hartlage Fence Company, Operations Manager – Served in role assisting with daily operations of family business in Louisville, KY

Where did you intern during the summer of 2015? My summer internship was in marketing at Emerson Electric –  Upstream Oil & Gas – McKinney, TX

Where will you be working after graduation? I will be serving as a Strategic Planner for Emerson Electric – Process Management – Flow Solutions Group

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: I volunteered at the Boys & Girls Club of South Bend tutoring middle school children for a time. In school, I served as the Student Activities Chair, Management Club Vice President, Graduation Committee Chair, Career Action Group Leader, and as an Admissions Ambassador.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? One of my responsibilities as Student Activities Chair was to organize tailgates. For a few years, the MBA tailgates had not lived up to the expectations of Notre Dame football. In my time, we held pig roasts, fully catered tailgates, and hosted Kellogg during the Northwestern/ND football game. The events became the focus of people’s fall weekends and truly served as the networking location for bringing together different Mendoza classes.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? The proudest moment of my professional career was going back home for Christmas break after the first semester of B-school and consulting with my father on business issues with a different lens. I applied my knowledge gained from the classroom to offer advice on inventory issues, worked through some strategic plans, and had conversations with the accountants on financial issues.

Who is your favorite professor? Robert Battalio – how many professors can bring energy and charisma on a daily basis to a Finance I class? I still remember his quirky and sometimes erratic way of teaching us how to do discount cash flows – which has proved invaluable.

Favorite MBA Courses? Financing the Corporation, Marketing Analytics, Business on the Frontlines

Why did you choose this business school? Notre Dame attracts a unique type of student, one who values a small academic setting that highlights ethics and business for a better purpose. Walking onto campus and feeling at home, the choice was clear. Mendoza is a competitive environment; but a place where someone will assist you in any and every way possible, including the vast alumni network of ND.

What did you enjoy most about business school? Without a shadow of a doubt, the people. I met more impressive and insightful individuals in the last two years than I did in my previous 10. My classmates come from all points of the globe, with phenomenal stories and diverse backgrounds. To experience all of our academic extracurricular activities with these people has been so much fun.  I wouldn’t trade a friendship made at Mendoza for anything.

Read the entire story on the Poets & Quants website.