Dan Barker, MBA, CCP, SPHR
VP, Human Resources, Allianz North America
Teaching focus: Human Resources
Where I come from
After getting my bachelor's degree in business administration with a major in finance from University of Illinois, I landed a job as an HR generalist at a local community hospital. Within the hospital, I worked myself up in the HR field, using my people skills and finance interests to create a niche for myself as a compensation and benefits specialist. This specialization was in a technical field of HR that was really in its infancy at the time. I was probably one of the first 100 people certified within the American Compensation Association; now there are over 10,000 CCPs.
After four years I left the non-profit environment and took a position in compensation at Tenneco Automotive, then a Fortune 15 company. While I was at Tenneco, I realized that I needed an advanced degree to progress in my career. I looked at my options locally - they included the University of Chicago, Northwestern, the University of Illinois, and Loyola - and chose the Keller Graduate School of Management. Keller offered specialization in Human Resources and had practicing professionals on their faculty. I began to apply what I was learning in the classroom at Tenneco, which contributed to my rapid advancement.
I then worked 11 years for Akzo-Nobel, a Dutch pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturer. I came in as a compensation and benefits specialist and worked my way up through generalist positions until, for the last six years, I headed Human Resources for North America for a division that had 8,000 employees, generated about $3 billion in revenues, and a 30-person HR team. Following a management role in the advertising/PR business and an entrepreneurial venture, I recently returned to the corporate arena as VP, Human Resources North America, at Allianz, a global insurance company based in Germany.
A change agent needs a seat at the table
I have always been a change agent, I've always taken situations that weren't in good management and HR shape and turned them around. Many HR people complain about not having a seat at the executive table. However at every company I've been part of, I have been able to acquire that - to build the trust and confidence in senior management, and position HR as a strategic partner in the business.
Mastery and mentoring
A lot of students have expectations that an advanced degree will open doors for them all by itself. I don't support that theory. To be successful, they need to master the basics - writing skills, communication skills - and develop their critical thinking. Then they need to know what really works in the workplace.
Two years after graduating with my MBA, I got a call from the dean of the Keller HR curriculum offering me a class to teach. Something clicked. Eighteen years and some 70 courses later, I am still doing it, and enjoying it greatly.
I try to do what my own best teachers did. They related to me personally and they showed me their passion for what they practiced and taught. Former students call me frequently for advice on their careers: networking, job opportunities, negotiating salaries and promotions. Time is limited, so I can't mentor everyone personally, but those I connect with may stay in touch for years.
A practitioner's guide to strategy
Over 30 years' experience in many different environments, I've seen the good and the bad of management practice and applications. I share with students what works and what doesn't. I help them through work situations they may be experiencing and help them focus more strategically on issues that they are exposed to. Bosses sometimes say, "I need you to think less technically and more strategically." To give students a springboard for strategic thinking, I talk through some of the challenges, dilemmas, and real-life issues I have dealt with.
In the capstone course, students put together an HR strategic plan for a real business. I work closely with them, explaining what really goes on in an organization during strategic planning. I go over the main things that a senior HR professional has to understand to support the business and the way the business is heading - support for staffing, organizational development, training and labor issues, compensation and benefit challenges, etc. They learn to think from the whole-company view and to think strategically.
Why Keller?
A Keller education gives you the flexibility to be yourself and at the same time, follow a certain path and curriculum that every accredited master's degree program must follow. You learn from people who have been there before you, have solid business experience, and can relate to students.
I think my colleagues are very good teachers. The practitioner approach really sets Keller apart. For hands-on people like me, it is the best possible approach. My Keller MBA helped me build a terrific career, and I am happy to help my students do the same.
