M.B.A. Alumnus Daniel Komara Promoted to Vice President at The Bank of New York Mellon

Meet Daniel Komara

Job title: Vice President, Associate Service Director
Employer: The Bank of New York Mellon
Degrees earned: M.B.A. with a concentration in management, Point Park University, 2011, and B.S. in business management, Grove City College, 1999
Hometown: Beaver, Pa.
High school: Beaver Area High School
Now living in: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Hobbies/interests: Backpacking, running, cycling, literature and eco-stewarding
LinkedIn: Dan Komara

What factors played a role in your promotion to a VP at BNY Mellon?

My prior experience and its relation to the challenges and problems that BNY Mellon is currently trying to navigate was the biggest factor in my most recent promotion, but having an M.B.A. definitely contributed to my upward mobility within the organization. My current manager places a lot of value on education and the internal motivation that an individual shows by furthering it.

Why did you decide to go with Point Park for graduate school?

I chose Point Park for three main reasons:

A handful of my more successful colleagues had earned M.B.A. degrees from Point Park and recommended the program to me.
The Downtown Pittsburgh location and class schedule conveniently fit into my work/life routine.
I liked the flexibility of the program, and also appreciated that Point Park did not require me to enroll in any unnecessary prerequisite courses.

Point Park really offered me the most value in comparison with other M.B.A. programs that I considered.

How have your M.B.A. classes helped you in the work you do?

I achieved my undergraduate degree more than a decade before I enrolled in the M.B.A. program at Point Park, so the classes definitely expanded/refreshed my overall business knowledge and modernized my research and writing skills. The program enhanced my leadership and collaboration abilities through the many group projects and presentations that were required. My position at BNY Mellon requires project management skills, and the M.B.A. program helped refine these abilities for me.

Who influenced you during your time at Point Park?

Dr. Sidky and Dr. Breslove encouraged me to view situations from multiple different organizational perspectives and I really enjoyed the thought-provoking exercises and classroom discussions their classes featured. Chris Dewit not only influenced me in his role as an adjunct professor at Point Park, but also as a training instructor at BNY Mellon. Also, Sally Polnyj was a very helpful advisor from the beginning!

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

The time management abilities and overall discipline that you must develop in order to earn a graduate-level degree while working a full-time job is, in my opinion, the most important general skill set that graduate school offers. The Point Park M.B.A. program is no exception and I am better off for having gone through it. Thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts!

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More About: Beaver Area High School, graduate programs, alumni, M.B.A., BNY Mellon, Rowland School of Business