Q&A: Faculty and Staff Share their Career Journeys to Michigan Ross
The Michigan Ross community is composed of individuals with diverse career backgrounds and interests. But for some, higher education and working at Michigan Ross weren’t always obvious career paths. To learn more about our colleagues’ experiences, we asked faculty and staff from around the school to share their career journeys and the choices that led them to Michigan Ross.
Glenn Bugala, associate director of marketing and communications, Business+Impact
After high school, I wanted to be an actor like Kevin Kline. I auditioned for an acting scholarship at the University of Michigan, Flint, and got a full ride for a Bachelor of Arts degree. At the time, I asked my parents how wise it was to get a degree in acting, and they said, “Who cares? You’ll have a degree and get it for free!” At the same time, I developed an interest in music. After five years and a teacher’s certification, I auditioned for grad schools, and I got a full-ride assistantship at Purdue University, where I earned my Master’s of Fine Arts.
Even after earning my MFA, I still wondered how sustainable acting would be. I decided to give myself seven years in Chicago to see how far I could get. I did well, performed professionally, and was paid. I also worked day jobs to make ends meet, which helped me pick up database development and communications skills and fall in love with the mission of nonprofits. At the end of seven years, I evaluated my acting success and came to the conclusion that I could act, but I would never be Kevin Kline. I asked myself if I would be satisfied acting and directing as a hobby instead of a source of income, and the conclusion was “yes.”
I made my way back to Michigan when I accepted a job with the Microsoft Healthcare Users Group, headquartered in Ann Arbor. I learned about design, email marketing, website design, and conference management in that position. I continued acting and directing with the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre and Performance Network. After jobs with Omnex and the Ann Arbor Symphony, I landed a job at Ross in 2008 as the web marketing manager for Ross Executive Education. A quick stint in the Ross Office of Marketing and Communications eventually landed me as associate director of marketing and communications with the Center for Social Impact, a precursor to Business+Impact.
I’ve always kept up with the latest technologies, the latest theatre trends, and the latest in contemporary music. I did a personality assessment a while back and realized that I’m driven to “create, enlighten, and analyze.” As a theatre director, an actor, a musician, and a hands-on marketing director, I always engage all three. I use my story regularly to remind students that they don’t have to figure out the rest of their lives at 18.
Steve Janssens, director of student and alumni programs, Zell Lurie Institute of Entrepreneurship
The beginnings of my career as a product development engineer were focused on solving complex product problems, including how to make products more user-friendly, desirable, and cost-effective. I worked with various consumer product brands, helping them get to market or grow their market by introducing new products. This part of my career took me all around the world, visiting factories and helping brands tell their stories through products.
As my career evolved, I tried to solve higher-level internal problems for the organizations I worked for. My focus shifted to internal communication across international borders, team building with multi-disciplinary teams, and building systems to make organizations run more efficiently. This led me to get my MBA and Executive MBA from IE University in Spain to navigate and communicate better in the business world. Post-MBA, I co-founded a company in Spain called LastBasic, which provides customers with a platform for ideating, developing, and building new products from scratch. As COO I focused on new product innovation and making the industry more accessible to the general public.
Post-pandemic, I was at a tipping point in my career/life and wanted to transition from being a global product person to focusing more on teams, people, community, and impact. I moved back to my home state of Michigan. I looked for entrepreneurial-focused opportunities where I could leverage my technical background, give back to the community, and make an impact on my team and the community I work with.
I joined Ross with the intention of working for an organization that could value my global experience and allow me to make an impact on my local community day to day. I was attracted to Ross because it is an important part of the Ann Arbor entrepreneurial community, and it allows me to stay current on entrepreneurship and business best practices.
Cheri Alexander, adjunct lecturer of management and organizations
I did my first two degrees at the University of Michigan — GO BLUE! — the second degree being a Master’s in Industrial Health Engineering. My third degree is a Master’s of Science in Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. With that background and education, I worked for General Motors for 33 years and lived in five countries, including those in Europe and Asia. During that time, I held roles as vice president of General Motors International Operations and vice president of General Motors Europe before accepting a position as president of General Motors University, which brought me back to Michigan.
While serving as president at General Motors University, whenever our chairman and CEO was called to visit Ross, he would ask me to come and speak to the students as well. Through my visits here, I fell in love with the students, and when I was approached to stay at Ross full-time, I thought about it but declined a few times. In 2009, the Michigan Ross Office of Executive Education approached me. I was offered a teaching position, so I decided to retire from General Motors and teach at Ross for two years. That was 16 years ago, and I’ve enjoyed my time here immensely.
Rafael Marques, program coordinator, Sanger Leadership Center
Early on, I was a professional musician with a background in classical music, having attended U-M’s School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. Performing with renowned ensembles and Grammy-nominee musicians was a highlight of my career, and it instilled in me the values of discipline and resilience, which I carried into my career switch to higher education.
Unfortunately, a career-ending face injury affected my performance career, leading me to pivot towards education studies towards the end of my master’s degree at U-M. Education was always a passion of mine, and I was eager to explore higher education. I was fortunate to join the Sanger Leadership Center right after graduation, which was a pivotal moment in my career as I sought to carve out a niche in the higher education landscape.
As a dedicated U-M alum with a deep love for Ann Arbor, I was drawn to stay and work at U-M. Ross, in particular, offered an environment I was eager to be part of and aligned with my passion for student advancement. As a loyal Wolverine and passionate educator, I approach each day at work with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind!
Outside of my work at Ross and Sanger, I am also a professional handball referee. I am currently ranked high in the United States and enjoy representing the country at international competitions. My goal is to be a referee in the LA28 Olympic Games.
