Oji Udezue MBA 2012

Program Manager, Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington

With one patent in communications technology granted and eleven pending, Oji Udezue is passionate about innovation, which he defines as “connecting humanity with creativity.” Combine that passion with a diverse network of high-powered, entrepreneurial classmates and immediately applicable classroom learning, and the Microsoft program manager is well positioned to broaden his impact at the company and his influence on its bottom line.

“I’m very interested in leadership. That’s my biggest interest in skill development. I want to be able to lead larger teams, be able to manage bigger businesses profitably.”

“General management, innovation, marketing and strategy—these are all good things to have in my toolbox as I change and modify my career.”

“The MBA gives me a larger network of consultative talent to appeal to. My classmates are very diverse in background and experience.”

“Berkeley has a big focus on innovation and entrepreneurship, which I’m drawn to. And Columbia is very good at traditional finance, general management. I felt like I couldn’t go wrong with that combination.”

“The faculty members are great teachers. They’ve been accessible, accommodating in the class, very approachable.”

“A key benefit of the program is that the learning is completely and immediately contextualized. Quite literally, when you’re asking questions you probably have a real problem in the back of your head. Once that question is answered, you’re thinking, Hmm, good, I’m going to try this.”

“Being a working professional, you understand the limitations of any glib solution to a problem, which helps you figure out how to use the problems and solutions appropriately.”

“One thing you learn immediately is that two or three people are always better than one, no matter how smart the one is. Having a discussion with teammates makes any solution better, makes any perspective broader and makes the study that much more valuable.”

“I was surprised at the program’s human element and how immediate it was, the sense of discovery, the bonding that went on with classmates, the constant conversation... right from the beginning of orientation.”

“One classmate is in the wine business, which is alien to me but fascinating. Other classmates are in clean tech and alternative energy; I’m Nigerian, and there’s an energy deficit in my country, so that business is really interesting to me. I’m looking forward to asking my classmates a lot of questions.”

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