Business Management Certificate Alumni Profile: Ryan Ashmead-Gomez
Please tell us a bit about who you are and your career:
My UW undergraduate degree is in History and my UW Master’s degree was in Communication, both completed at the Seattle campus. I’ve had a great career. I’ve been a marketing and sales representative for a large local fortune 500 aerospace company, a managing editor of the company’s intellectual property magazine, a Quality Management Systems program manager, and I’ve been a chief of staff for a couple significant manufacturing operations leadership teams.
What has been your work experience since completing the course?
Ha! More of the same but I love what I do. I will say, whether it is communications or operations or a mix of both, I expect my certificate to play a role in making me not only a great candidate for future leadership roles but more importantly a valuable contributor to any team.
Why did you choose to attend the program?
My wife was accepted, and I didn’t want to hang out by myself at home. 🙂
Also, I had over 20 years of continuous business, leadership, and management experience and this certificate covered everything I was looking for in continuing my education. This included finding a management program offered by an accredited world-renowned business school that could take my knowledge and expertise and hone it into an organized and reputable certificate.
What did you value most about the program at the time?
The same thing I value now — the memories of attending at the beautiful UW Seattle Campus, the world-class instructors, and the time spent with my peers. I have great memories and new friendships.
How has attending the course impacted your career?
I’ve always valued making my own way in creating an interesting career. I’ve prided myself on seeking out intelligent leaders and great teams. Having completed the coursework and the experience, I believe it has made my journey that much more meaningful. This certificate took what I already knew, gave it a framework, and provided insights into business areas that were new to me (like accounting). And anyone in operations or production will tell you — having a broad and deep understanding of all facets of business is invaluable to any management team. It doesn’t matter if you’re a first line leader or a senior executive.
What was your experience like during the course?
It wasn’t easy. But with anything valuable it is a commitment worth undertaking. Take seriously being prepared and being willing to share your thoughts and experiences. In doing so, you will deeply enjoy the instruction, stories, and challenging coursework. I very much enjoyed being with other career professionals who shared their experiences and gave color to the subjects and coursework.
What is your favorite memory of it?
Sitting next to my wife and hearing her opinions and answers. I knew she was smart but sharing that experience with peers is enviable.
Have you made lasting connections with faculty or other attendees?
Absolutely. Some of my favorite people are friends from this program.
What skill from the course are you able to apply at your job?
I’m in operations management and everything is used daily.
In what ways have you been able to measure the return on investment of participating in the program?
I was already doing well. But in truth my answer is kind of funny. My wife picked up a new job and doubled her salary while reducing her work stress. So, quantifiably speaking the program significantly helped my household. Go DAWGS!
Is there anything you wish you had known prior to starting the program?
I wish we would have done it sooner.
What would you like to share with prospective students of the program?
The UW is a great school. Don’t wait. The instruction, knowledge, and pride in completing the program is well worth it.
Learn more about the Business Management Certificate Program:
Join our mailing list to get program updates
Sign up to attend a webinar
You can also reach out to Academic Director Leta Beard at lbeard@uw.edu or Associate Dean Jean Choy at jchoy@uw.edu with any questions about the program or to discuss how it can help you on the next step in your career path.
Note: Ryan attended the program when it was called the Certificate in Business Administration.
Originally published at https://blog.foster.uw.edu on October 26, 2020.
