2022 Best & Brightest Executive MBA: Mark Hamrick, Texas A&M (Mays)

Mark Hamrick

Mays Business School, Texas A&M University

Age: 43

“Dynamic leader effectively identifies talent, develops leaders, and transfers skill sets across an organization.”

Hometown: Casper, Wyoming

Family Members: Wife-Shelby Hamrick, one of the best Mothers and Spouses in the world, Daughters- Peyton is a sporty, funny, and dedicated student-athlete (13). Piper is a free-spirited, kind-hearted soul who is elegant on the dance floor (9)

Fun fact about yourself: I got denied the first time I tried to get into the Texas A&M EMBA program.

Undergraduate School and Degree: University of Wyoming-Bachelor of Science in Marketing

Where are you currently working? CEO/Owner of Bionic Energy. Bionic Energy is empowering the planet forward with premier tools and exceptional service. Bionic does everything with responsibility, resiliency, ethics, hard work, and leadership.

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work, and Leadership Roles: Being a former D1 wrestler at the University of Wyoming, I feel it is important to continue giving back to the sport that gave me so much. I love volunteering at local high school sports programs for Wrestling, Golf, and Tennis. I founded the Chad Plummer Memorial Scholarship fund with the help of a couple of college wrestling buddies, Shay Wyman and Craig Rumsey. We have raised funds and contributed to individuals chasing their dreams anywhere from Olympics in track and field to attending Ferrier College. Giving back to the community is part of who I am. I participate in judging and mentoring Professional MBAs and Full-Time MBAs at Texas A&M for various presentations and contests. Also, I am a Dedicated board member of Casper Country Club.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am most proud of the transformational change I have gone through here at Texas A&M. Having a 4.0 GPA during the program while building a business has not been easy, but putting to work what I have learned made the process enjoyable and very rewarding. I am also very proud of my children and how they have emulated excellence in their learning and schoolwork. The opportunity to lead by example with my children’s learning has ingrained academic skillsets my children can use for the rest of their lives.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? The Executive MBA program gave me the confidence and skillsets to start my own successful business and become cash flow positive in only 6-weeks. Negotiating and leveraging my strengths allowed me to reduce costs and produce cash flow quickly.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Dr. Bala Shetty was one of our first professors in the program for Business Analytics. Dr. Shetty truly cared about our learning, had high expectations for his students, and held us accountable for our work. I truly felt that he genuinely cared about our advancement as professionals and gave us the tools and skills to succeed. Dr. Shetty’s influence will be entrenched in my academia forever.

Why did you choose this school’s executive MBA program? I chose Texas A&M’s Executive MBA program over any other program because of the values and culture of the University. I was not just another student in the seat; I was the next generation of Aggies that would change the world for the better. I felt those expectations and values each day and believed in them. The mentors and network I developed inside the program are priceless.

Give us a story during your time as an executive MBA on how you were able to juggle work, family and education? Realistically, my wife gets all the credit. I traveled back and forth from Wyoming to Houston every other week for class. The amount and frequency of travel put a lot of demand and stress on my wife during those times, not to mention the daily time I spent on work and school. My kids are very active, which meant flying back from Houston to a different state for volleyball or dance competitions because my wife was in a completely different state with our other child. It was a wild ride, but it shows how resilient we are, and I love testing my elasticity. I wouldn’t change anything if I had to do it over. The program was well worth the sacrifices, maybe not the answer my wife Shelby would give. LOL, but we made it!

What advice would you give to a student looking to enter an executive MBA program? Embrace the chaos. Use it as fuel to empower your transformational journey. I had a lot of conversations with classmates, continually motivating them to stay positive and use the stressful and demanding times as a great learning experience that will transform them into better leaders.

What is the biggest myth about going back to school? The biggest misconception about going back to school is the inability to get back into “school mode .”The EMBA program at Texas A&M was the complete opposite. The classes and material were so relevant to my professional career that it was like being in a Petrie dish. I used all the material in my personal and professional life. Those experiences allowed for organic learning opportunities and practice that could develop skillsets.

What was your biggest regret in business school? Nothing comes to mind.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I admire anyone who had a baby or small children during the program. Several classmates had additions to their families during the program, and I couldn’t imagine adding one more thing to the plate during such an intense time. That shows true grit, which I know every Aggie has.

What was the main reason you chose an executive MBA program over part-time or online alternatives? My mentor and close friend, Robert Workman, earned his EMBA from Rice, and he highly suggested the EMBA program. He is a true professional and has held CEO positions in both the public and private sectors after earning his EMBA. The network and experience gained from the cohort of seasoned professionals is a huge part of future success in the EMBA program.

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? I want to hire and retire employees. I want to make the world a better place. I want to be the best employer in my market segment. I want to be a leader that people want to work for. I want to set an excellent example for my children, so they have the aspiration to work hard and become whoever they want to be.

What made Mark such an invaluable addition to the class of 2022?

“Mark Hamrick separated from DNOW on August 4th, 2021. Within a few short months after leaving DNOW, Mark utilized the lessons learned from the EMBA program to launch a new venture. In November 2021, Mark launched Bionic Energy LLC, a thru-tubing service company. Mark’s new EMBA skills and knowledge led Bionic Energy to a great start that included achieving revenue and positive cash flow quickly.

Mark’s launch and leadership of Bionic Energy, LLC benefited the EMBA program in several critical ways, including his ability to share intrapreneurial and entrepreneurial insights and experiences with his cohorts and inspire other EMBA classmates with entrepreneurial aspirations to see his success as motivation to launch their endeavors.

Additionally, Mark will add value as part of the Aggie Alumni. Mark’s first-year success with Bionic Energy and the prospect of success in future years highlight the EMBA program’s focus on entrepreneurship.”

Bridgette Chambers, PhD.
Executive Professor

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