Bob Stetzel, Bsmis Bringing E-business to a Growing Company

Bob was already a successful professional in the world of information technology, a field he had worked in for 30 years, yet something was missing. A vice president of business information services at The Yankee Candle Company, Inc., Bob felt he was “long overdue” to complete his bachelor’s degree at a respected institution. The Marlboro College Graduate Center bachelor’s completion program in managing information systems provided the flexibility to fit his busy schedule.

“As a resident of the local region, I liked the reputation of Marlboro College as a creative institution,” said Bob. “When combined with the focus on my technology field, it supported both the local and education goals I was seeking. The quality of the teaching staff and programs, and the attentiveness of the administrative services, makes MCGC a great option for those in the technical field.”

Bob found the BSMIS program to be an ideal setting to both fill the gap in his formal education and the opportunity to apply coursework directly to his workplace.

“The program, the diversity of the offerings and the ability to leverage actual work projects and themes provided a practical and high-quality learning experience,” said Bob. “The varying backgrounds of my fellow students created a rich learning environment. The best part of this program was the blended environment opportunity to participate in both online and in class learning. As an adult learner, it supported interactive classroom experience even when we were not all able to sit in the same room.”

Bob’s capstone project supported emerging e-commerce projects for Yankee Candle, combining the details of project management with analyses of the executive leadership roles and responsibilities. His current role includes responsibility for the IS/IT infrastructure and operations for the company, including e-commerce, web applications, data warehouse and business intelligence.

“One immediate benefit of the BSMIS program was the breadth of the education I received in IS/IT disciplines I had not yet been able to explore,” said Bob. “It taught me concepts that assisted me daily in discussions with my teams and partners.”

“I have been fortunate to be able to take advantage of opportunities to grow and learn at my workplaces. The lack of a completed formal education would have been an obstacle to my career, and my work at MCGC assisted me in filling that gap. I liked the fact that the BSMIS program provides an opportunity to segue into a graduate program when I am ready to continue.”