Rob Layton

MBA/Entrepreneurship and Marketing (expected Fall 2007)
President, Windy City Outdoors

I received my undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign and worked for several years as a successful manufacturing engineer. During this time, I came to realize that I ultimately wanted to run my own business. In order to accomplish this goal, I needed to obtain the skills that only an MBA degree would provide. I also realized that I loved the Chicago area and wanted to remain here - it's where I grew up, where all of my professional contacts and friends are, and where there are countless resources available to me.

As important as it was for me to find an MBA program that would provide the superior technical skills for me to start my business, it was equally important to find an environment that would support building strong relationships with classmates and professors who are genuinely interested in the future of their students. This is how I ended up at UIC's Liautaud Graduate School of Business. Not only does the LGSB have one of the nation's best MBA programs specializing in entrepreneurship, it has also helped me develop many professional relationships that will be invaluable as my business grows.

If someone asked me today how to choose an MBA program, I would say to go with what feels right - what's the best fit between the individual and the program. As a former manufacturing engineer who has turned his passion for the outdoors into a successful business, I know I found my match with UIC's Liautaud MBA.