Posted on May 30, 2017 by Joanna Carver
Being recognized for exemplary leadership in a class of 35 executives is quite the feat. But, recent Executive MBA graduate Aaron Risinger, EMBA ’17 rose to the challenge and was voted by his classmates as the Wayne J. Drymala Memorial Endowed Leadership recipient this year.
The award was established in memoriam for Wayne Drymala, EMBA ’01 to recognize exemplary EMBA students. Award criteria included ethical behavior, intellectual contribution to program activities, support of others, team building and overall leadership effectiveness.
“I am very honored to be chosen for this award,” said Risinger, national sales manager at PerkinElmer. “I wasn’t expecting to receive this honor since our class has many strong leaders.”
Coming from a technical background in biochemistry, Risinger chose UTSA’s EMBA program to expand his accounting, finance and leadership skills as he rose through the ranks from an application scientist into a management position. The EMBA is a comprehensive 21-month cohort program designed for experienced managers, professionals and rising leaders.
“I needed to learn the language and the different approaches in business,” said Risinger, who manages PerkinElmer’s high content screening and cellular imaging field sales team in North America, Canada, Central America and South America. “I wanted a degree that prepared me for current work responsibilities such as developing operating plans, surveying the marketing landscape and working with business development teams.”
While the program was challenging, Risinger felt the commitment was necessary to level up to the next stage in his career. “I knew coming into this type of environment that you are going to get out of it what you put into it,” he said. “I seized the opportunity to learn, and that attitude helped me get a lot out of the program.”
Two months after beginning the program, Risinger was promoted to his current position.
“This program is a nexus for diverse thought,” he said. “I’ve met and networked with some great people, and I’ve been able to apply what I’ve learned in the classroom to better manage my team. My professional future is now limitless.”
Wendy Frost—
Please send your comments to: wendy.frost@utsa.edu
— Joanna Carver
