Jeffery Underhill

Technical Energy Advisor

New Brunswick

My name is Jeffrey Underhill, I am a professional engineer working as a technical energy advisor in New Brunswick. My position involves working with industrial facilities throughout the province to help them to become more energy efficient. The group I work with administers various financial incentive programs to help companies with building improvements, equipment replacements, and studies on their operation to improve energy efficiency and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. I previously worked in engineering consulting as well as several manufacturing operations.

I chose to pursue the MBA program as the time was right. I have previously filled management roles, but I believe this MBA will help me achieve roles with greater responsibility as I grow my leadership capabilities. The UFred program was an excellent fit with its flexibility, and I was fortunate early on to be connected with a recent graduate of the program through a colleague. She provided a great reference for the program and walked me through what to expect from the courses and professors.

Returning to university-level learning was challenging as I had been in the workforce for 15+ years. The variety of topics in the program and the quality of the professors and fellow students made the transition much easier than I expected. Coming from an engineering background, the first challenge was refining my essay writing skills, as this was not a focus of my prior degree, but the UFred support system was a major help.

The wide range of knowledge I have gained in the MBA program has already been helpful in my career. Many courses offered information and skills I had not formally been exposed to. Topics covered included accounting, human resources, and systems thinking. This base of knowledge and the leadership skills we all gain in the program will help me grow my career for years to come. I was even able to use some of this knowledge recently in completing my Project Management Professional designation.

The highlight of the UFred program was the range of professionals I worked with through the fourteen courses. The wide variety of professional backgrounds allowed me to network with people I would not normally meet in a professional setting. I look forward to keeping in touch with many of these contacts.

As I recently completed the program and was afforded the opportunity to focus my group capstone project on my employer, I am hopeful it will lead to opportunities for professional growth in the organization. I am excited to see what the future might bring, but in the short term, after 3 ½ years of evening classes and essays, I am now enjoying the added freedom. I am excited to see what doors this program may open. I have no doubt the skills and knowledge I have gained through the MBA in Innovation Leadership will lead to remarkable things in the future.

I highly recommend this program to anyone considering an MBA. It is so much more than accounting and business training. It is leadership, HR, organizational culture, leading virtual teams, and many more areas highly applicable in the business world.