Business Alumnus Promoted to Operations Manager at PNC After Graduating in May

Meet Brock Masters

Job title: Operations Manager
Employer: PNC - Commercial Client Services
Degree earned: Bachelor of Science in Business
Graduated: May 2014
College activities: Gettysburg trip with Professor Bromall's class and Catalina Wine Mixer
Hometown: Kittanning, Pa.
High School: Kittanning Senior High School
Now living in: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Hobbies/interests: Traveling, Pittsburgh Penguins, movies and family
Twitter: @awesomebrock
LinkedIn: Brock Masters

Tell us about the role your bachelor's degree played in your recent job promotion.

Earning a bachelor's degree from Point Park not only provided me with the tools needed to become an effective manager within my organization, but it also taught me how to take those tools and apply them to my job responsibilities. I learned several different styles and philosophies that I began to insert into my daily activities, which helped me show I was capable of managing a team. My decision to go back to school and finish my bachelor's degree also allowed me to finally answer "yes" when asked the previously dreaded question about meeting degree requirements.

What factors made you choose Point Park?

After several years of procrastination, I realized that in order to achieve my career aspirations, I would need to finally finish the degree I had been putting off for so long. I was working full-time in Downtown Pittsburgh and began looking at schools that could accommodate my busy life. Point Park offered an unparalleled combination of a great location close to my office, Saturday classes that wouldn't conflict with my work schedule and an accelerated business program that allowed me to finish my degree in just two years.

Describe the teaching style of Point Park's professors.

The professors in the Saturday accelerated program were far from the stereotypical lecturers I had learned from in the past. Each of them possessed unique real-world work experience that could be easily applied to the lessons at hand. This allowed me to quickly take what I was learning in the classroom and translate it to success in the workplace. This real-world experience also helped the instructors understand the challenges associated with students balancing a full-time job and a full course load. Professors Lou Sabina, Ph.D., Michele Langbein, Ph.D., Eric Slomer, D.Sc., and Paul Nutter, M.B.A., were great examples of this and were critical parts of my development.

In what ways do you incorporate the skills you learned in the classroom into the work you do today?

Each day I am presented with new challenges at work. The lessons learned in the classroom have taught me how to analyze situations and produce effective solutions. I was also lucky enough to spend my time at Point Park University as part of what some would consider the greatest cohort of all time. My time with this group taught me that great things can be accomplished by a team who develops trust, camaraderie and isn't afraid to have fun while working hard. This dynamic is something I believe is extremely productive and is something I am working on with my new team at work.

What are your career goals?

I would like to continue the natural progression of my career at PNC. I have several short-term goals I would like to accomplish over the next several years, but my overall aspiration is to be in a position where the decisions I make can have a significant positive impact on the company.

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More About: PNC, alumni, business management, Kittanning Senior High School, Rowland School of Business, success story