Mark Kolentsis, MBA

The Rutgers EMBA faculty are highly-regarded and world-class. We started the program as the pandemic emerged, yet their professionalism, passion for education and ability to relate to their students was unfaltering.

Towards the final few months of the Executive MBA program, I had the opportunity to join a company that I respected for its values, legacy, and success. This new role provided me with long-term growth, increased responsibilities and the rare opportunity to be a part of a team implementing a new strategy. There is no doubt that the Rutgers EMBA helped to prepare me for this next step in my career.

Professor Patorniti’s (HAP) Business Strategy module helped me to reflect on my career as well as current and future business opportunities through a strategic lens. Professor HAP’s ability to take complex strategic concepts and make them applicable to the situations we face professionally was impressive.

Professor Pagda’s Strategic Transformation Management module highlighted how to put the framework in place to drive meaningful transformation in an organization. The case studies and guest speakers from Microsoft were great examples of how industry-leading organizations have successfully driven strategic transformations.

Professor Williamson’s Organizational Behavior module allowed me to look at how strategy, transformation and the most valuable part of any corporation, the people must interact to drive meaningful change. “Alignment is key to maximizing performance,” is something Professor Williamson said in one of his first lectures; it has stuck with me.

Dr. James Innovative Leadership module was dynamic and drove the class to tell their leadership story in a meaningful way. Dr. James’ passion and ability to get the most out of his students while showcasing what modern leadership looks like is truly amazing.

All four of these professors were a big part of my success in the application process for the next step in my career and I am thankful for the time they spent with me outside of the classroom. I now have a dual role as the General Manager of the Singapore business and am also the Regional Equipment Manager across eight countries at Jebsen & Jessen. I took on this new appointment just as I completed my EMBA from Rutgers Business School and know that this experience helped prepare me for the next step in my career.

Mark Kolentsis, MBA

General Manager
Jebsen & Jessen Technology Turf & Irrigation
Rutgers Executive MBA Program, Class of 2021