Elevating his career through education

Kevin Winn ’94, ’15 MBA, ’24 MSSCM knew he would get a quality education with both of his chosen master programs because of the outstanding education and professors he encountered as an undergraduate at Mount Mercy University.

Kevin received his undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice. Years later, Kevin decided to return for his Master of Business Administration (MBA) because he had always been interested in expanding his knowledge and advancing his career. He said the faculty and class size were the deciding factors when looking into Mount Mercy’s graduate programs.

“After assessing other colleges, I realized Mount Mercy perfectly fit me,” Kevin shared. “Overall, it was the faculty that drew me here, and I already knew the quality I would be getting.”

“After assessing other colleges, I realized Mount Mercy perfectly fit me. Overall, it was the faculty that drew me here, and I already knew the quality I would be getting.”

As part of Kevin’s MBA program, he went to southern Belize to gain real-world experience in servant leadership by working with an organic farming group that does tours on how to create cocoa powder from locally grown cacao. Kevin’s MBA work involved creating a marketing and financial plan to help the farming group report accurate information within government guidelines.

Kevin’s trip to Belize was easily the most influential experience through Mount Mercy because of the farmer who helped him learn so much about servant leadership and caring for others more than himself.

“The trip changed my perspective on how I wanted to be a leader within my career. To this day, I still keep in touch with the group I went down to Belize with and the farmer we worked with,” Kevin said.

Not only did his MBA program provide him with real-world experiences, but it also helped him connect with a network of career-driven people. Kevin landed his current position through a relationship he made within his master’s program.

Kevin works as a Subcontracts Program Manager in supply chain at BAE Systems, working closely with suppliers on contractual language acceptance, pricing, and overall performance/quality issues, assisting primarily capital equipment purchases with Operations, Engineering, Testing, IT, and Facilities Departments.

“It has been a great pleasure to work for nearly two years at BAE Systems with a very talented team that has a single focus to ‘protect those that protect us,’” Kevin said.

His MBA program helped him learn more about all facets of an organization, which he constantly deals with in his position. He has also learned to be strategic and understand supply chain management from all areas within the company, allowing him to see their interdependency.

A luncheon Kevin attended on the Hill to learn more about programs for his daughter introduced him to the Master of Science in Supply Chain Management (MSSCM) program and prompted him to return for his third degree.

Among the strong influences for wanting to pursue another degree were his tremendous passion for supply chain management, his desire to dive deeper into many different aspects of the business, and having some of his MBA credits count towards his MSSCM degree.

“I wanted to go back for my MSSCM degree to refresh myself and see what is out there and what has changed, especially since the pandemic,” Kevin said.

Kevin believes that surrounding yourself with a solid foundation of mentors is essential to success. Luckily, he found many influential people on campus who sincerely cared about his future.

“I wanted to go back for my MSSCM degree to refresh myself and see what is out there and what has changed, especially since the pandemic.”

“Mount Mercy has provided the avenue to be able to reach out, excel, dream, and achieve whatever you want, but you have to be willing to engage yourself to get everything you want out of it,” Kevin said.

Kevin especially noted Professor Marcie Van Note and Professor Deb Oliver for their compassion towards students and willingness to help. To this day, he still keeps in touch with many professors and friends.

“The professors have a genuine interest in students' education and professional and personal success,” Kevin said. “There was an honest attempt at learning about our careers and family.”

Another faculty member who went out of his way to show his commitment and a personal approach was Professor Ayman Amer. When Kevin went to Professor Amer for help in statistics, he took an hour before every class to meet with him to go into more detail about what they were learning in class.

“The instructors at Mount Mercy carried the commitment of wanting to be a professor farther than I’ve ever seen. I wouldn’t have been as successful if I ended up at a different school,” Kevin said.

To give back for all the support he’s received on the Hill, Kevin decided to join the Mount Mercy Alumni Board. He feels he brings a unique perspective as both a student and the parent of a student.

Another reason he got involved with the board is because he believes the school fills a great educational need in the community. He sees the value of smaller schools and wants to help Mount Mercy keep building in the right direction.

Kevin’s message to future students is that if you truly embrace the core values of lifelong learning and being a part of a community, you will find success and a welcoming atmosphere at Mount Mercy.