KEN FREDERICK
Pharmaceutical
VP of Finance at Imagine Pharma
2024 Poets & Quants Online MBA Best & Brightest
How has your online education helped you in your current job?
The MBA@UNC program provided real-time opportunities to take knowledge I learned the night before and apply it the next day. It broadened my business acumen and enhanced my capabilities of bringing more robust, thoughtful solutions to solving complex problems.
We were in a contract renegotiation with a significant business partner. Our partner brought a proposal that on the surface appeared straightforward. Leveraging the learnings from my strategy and negotiation courses (strategy as opportunity, BATNA, MESOs, etc.), I had the tools to take a more critical view and provide a strategic point-of-view from the supplier’s perspective, identifying a question not explicitly being asked, although implied. As a result of this analysis, we crafted a response to address the question which effectively communicated our confidence and led to a better negotiated outcome.
In another example, utilizing the UNC Kenan-Flagler network, I recently reached out to a classmate about a business need, and they were quick to get me to the right person in their organization to address the need. I have a call with another classmate this week to see if there is opportunity to work together. There is power in shared experiences, and the resulting relationships.
Did you earn a promotion while in the program or immediately after graduation?
Yes, I initially contracted with Imagine Pharma to actively drive and support its capital raise efforts. After a successful raise, I was asked to lead its finance function. I was delighted to accept the invitation.