Introduction
The theme of the Industrial Engineering department at West Virginia University is Leadership for Technology Business. The career profiles which follow are from graduates of the WVU Industrial Engineering program. Each profile consists of two parts: a career interview and an official career biography. You can use this website to identify career profiles in different industry segments and with different career focus areas.
You will also find leadership lessons which were developed from these profiles. These lessons are based upon the experiences of the individuals profiled here. You will find these lessons to be more specific and personally focused than what you will typically find in leadership books.
Career Profiles of WVU IE Leaders
Gary Murdock came to WVU knowing he wanted to be an engineer. He chose Industrial Engineering because he liked the business aspect of IE.
Read more »Explore Industries
Construction
These businesses include any type of construction from homes to commercial buildings, to government facilities, to large scale industrial complexes.
Consulting
These businesses provide support to other organizations. Most consulting businesses specialize in a certain type of advice. Industrial Engineering typically work in consulting firms that focus on productivity improvement, information technology, or corporate strategy.
Consumer Goods
These businesses include both discretionary and staple products. Discretionary products could be such things as electronics, entertainment, clothing, etc. Staples include food/beverages, housing, transportation, etc.
Defense
These businesses support the military through products and services.
Education
Energy
These businesses include the generation and distribution of energy services. Examples include natural gas pipelines and power plants.
Explore Career Paths
Business Development
These careers involve the expansion of the core of a business through mergers and acquisitions or the expansion of the business into new product/services lines or geographic regions. Typically these careers evolve from careers in sales, or planning, or financial analysis. An MBA is generally essential for these careers.
Consulting
These careers involve advising external clients in areas where you have special expertise. Typical areas of expertise include information technology, general Industrial Engineering, or project management. Consulting is often a first step career leading to a management position for a client company or other company which needs your expertise.
Customer Service
These careers involve being an interface between a company’s clients and the product/service it provides. Customer service positions involve supporting the client after the initial sale has been made. Customer service careers often extend the level of business revenue generated from a client. Customer service careers involve a high level of relationship building.
Leaders constantly evolve in how they steer organizations. What works well at one time may not continue to work.
