James Bender
MBA 10
MBA 10
Internship:
Cisco Strategic Services
San Jose, California
Previous degree:
BS, Computer Sciences
US Naval Academy, Maryland
Job prior to Haas:
US Naval Aviator
United States Navy
James Bender is no stranger to leadership. As a carrier naval aviator, he had the lives and safety of 85 people in his hands. He has shared that leadership experience with his classmates, and in return, they have helped him learn to look at problems from a profit-and-loss perspective.
Innovative Leadership Skills
"I want to be an innovative, compassionate manager, one who is unafraid to make difficult decisions with incomplete information."
Accomplished Classmates
"Without question, I've enjoyed the Haas experience with truly exceptional and accomplished classmates. The admissions team does an amazing job of finding a diverse group of students with wide-ranging experiences."
Challenging Curriculum
"I was impressed by the professors' ability to teach students who have such a broad set of experiences. I had never taken a Finance class, but I was in a class with people who worked as investment bankers. Each student was constantly engaged in the learning experience."
Gaining Global Experience
"International Business Development (IBD) is a can't-miss opportunity to break out of US business cultural norms and see firsthand how other cultural norms create different kinds of business challenges and potential solutions.
Creating Military Ties
"We had a couple of goals in starting up the Haas Veterans Club. First is to give vets—from other countries as well as the US—a visible presence here on campus. The second is to reach out to the broader military network, which is incredibly strong, and establish the Haas brand."
