Meet Harold Dillow

 

Degree: MBA '14 with concentrations in operations and supply chain management
Occupation: Director, Supply Chain Logistics and Materials UC Health

Why this program?

After working in the auto industry for eight years as a mechanical engineer, I decided to make a career change and work in healthcare. My first job in healthcare required me to work alongside the supply chain team to map out efficient processes for the hospital. I quickly realized that in order for me to do my job to the best of my ability, I needed to learn more about healthcare operations and supply chain management.

I chose this program because I felt like the professors and the school were really focused on business and ethics. I also really liked the strong reputation of the university within the healthcare industry in the greater Chicago area. And so my thinking was, if I obtained an MBA from the Quinlan School of Business and stayed in the healthcare industry, I would be more valuable due to my unique knowledge of engineering, healthcare and supply chain management.

Favorite experience

I do have a lot of good memories from my time at Quinlan, but the two that really stick out to me are from my classes taught by Maciek Nowak and John Caltagirone. I had a wonderful relationship with both of them, and they were very influential to my development as a supply chain professional. They also have a really strong network of contacts in supply chain across the nation and are willing to help students find great internships and full-time jobs.

In Professor Nowak’s Supply Chain Analytics class, I was able to do a lot of analytical dashboard building and learn industry specific supply chain software that allowed me to become proficient at analyzing large sets of data. It was difficult, but this was one of my favorite classes.

In John Caltagirone’s class, my classmates and I partnered with a local company in Chicago to do a real-world project. We went to their plant a few times to work on the project and then we got to present our final plans to management. We also visited FedEx at O’Hare airport to see their operations and that was really interesting to me.

Advice for current students

My main advice for students would be to get an internship or some kind of professional work experience before you graduate. I was already working full-time in healthcare supply chain management while at Quinlan, so I didn’t really do the internship route.

But for someone who has little-to-no experience and is able to intern, I strongly encourage you to take advantage of any opportunities that may arise. Even if it’s only for three months, work with a company and complete a project or something tangible for your portfolio. And even if you can’t intern, at least take a class that allows you to do projects with local companies because it’s great exposure.

Why Quinlan? (In 10 words or less)

A strong reputation in Chicago and supportive professors.