My Professional Edge - Robin Lee

Robin Lee
Product/Project Manager, Southern California Edison
Keller degree: Master of Business Administration (MBA)

My career

My primary role is to provide subject matter expertise in managing and leading the implementation of multiple regulatory mandated projects having material financial and operational impacts. These impacts stretch across multiple organizations within the company and over 300 energy procurement contracts. The role also requires business process acumen, system analysis proficiency, and a solutions management orientation.

I began this position in January 2007. Because this area within the company is highly specialized, I established and management approved the development of an interactive training program. It will serve both as a resource for new hires as well as a framework for documenting the operational complexity of the business area.

Support for success

My criteria for an MBA degree program were simple. The institution of choice must have a faculty composed of either subject matter experts or seasoned professionals, a flexible schedule geared towards working professionals, and most importantly, an administration engaged in helping students succeed in their program.

Stemming from my undergraduate experience at DeVry in Computer Information Systems, where the majority of my instructors were seasoned working professionals, I knew that this would be Keller's offering to me. Without fail, I have had the pleasure to learn from a host of instructors who have helped shape my thinking and my intent to pursue further academic interests.

At the time I enrolled in Keller's MBA program, my business unit, now composed of over 270 employees, was undergoing a major organizational change. Selected to participate in the Guiding Team to implement this change, I was working close to 50-60 hours a week. As a result, I desired a program that offered the flexibility of year-round night and weekend courses. Ultimately, this enabled me to achieve my goal of earning my MBA in less than two years.

Lastly, because of my aggressive schedule, I knew that the program administration would play a key role in achieving this end. What I got was more than I expected! The expeditious turnaround, timely response, counseling in various curriculum areas, availability to students, and the observable care the administrators offered were the talk amongst students. Bottom-line, the administrators were our partners, helping us succeed in our academic endeavors!

Pushing performance to the next level

The MBA program was definitely not an assembly line where students walk in the front door and out the back with a post-graduate degree. The rigor of the courses in conjunction with the exemplary faculty pushed my performance to the next level. Starting and completing the MBA degree program was by far my most significant accomplishment to date.

The journey to completion was arduous, with continuous re-assessment of everything that I thought I had learned or knew. Meanwhile, there was the constant balancing act between work, life, and relationships. In retrospect, I am glad that the path to get here was difficult because I believe that adversity challenges us to use our wisdom to adapt and overcome.

Advancement and self-discovery

The MBA enabled me to be promoted into a Project Manager role. Upper management has communicated their vote of confidence and support to pursue leadership programs in the company. The promotion was a direct result of the contribution I made during the organizational change process. However, it was the Keller program that played a major role in helping me to succeed.

Aside from the promotion, the degree program has also helped me to grow interpersonally and provided an insight into the core of my creativity and strengths. I believe these are the true building blocks to pave a career path.