James Burkhardt has been selected as the 2009 University of Wisconsin MBA Consortium Outstanding Student. He will be recognized May 16, 2009 at the MBA Celebration Reception following commencement. Burkhardt is an August, 2008 graduate.
Burkhardt has an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from Michigan Technological University. He has worked for 3M for the past 13 years, in three different locations, and is currently employed in the Knoxville, Iowa plant. Burkhardt is the product manager for 3M’s tape fastening systems, and says that the MBA has strengthened his knowledge and provided a framework for how finance, IT, and marketing relate to his position as a product manager. Specifically, he attributes the knowledge that he gained from the MBA core courses to giving him a better understanding of “big business” goals, and has been able to put that knowledge to practical use in his current role.
Burkhardt currently lives in Pella, Iowa, with his wife and six-year-old son. In his spare time, he likes to travel with his family.