Ignacio Estrada, MM ‘17

Ignacio started his career doing engine development work for Caterpillar, but knew he wanted to advance beyond technical engineering roles. He decided to pursue business education, with the goal of obtaining an engineering management position in the tech industry.

Ignacio found the perfect solution in the University of Michigan’s MM/MSE Dual Degree Program, where he quickly established himself as a leader and earned the Michigan Ross Outstanding Leadership Award. “I am the student advisory board president for the Tauber Institute of Global Operations. We host different speakers and events so students can figure out what they want to do with their careers, and host social events as well. It’s been fantastic because I interact with a lot of different students and see their points of view.”

Talking with MBA students has been particularly beneficial. “As an engineer, when I give a presentations I tend to gravitate toward the technical details, but I’ve learned from the MBAs that I need to focus on the big takeaway. Managers are going to assume that the technical stuff was done correctly and done well, so you don’t need a lot of detail.”

In addition to his MM/MSE studies and student leadership, Ignacio also has a graduate student research assistant position and is pursuing a certificate with Tauber, which requires some extra courses and workshops focused on operations.  

Despite his hectic schedule, Ignacio makes sure to balance work with fun. He is an active member of the MM soccer team, which meets each Thursday, and enjoys playing trivia with friends and grabbing a beer at his favorite spots around town.