Glen Martin

University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business

Age: 37

“Embracing the adventure of learning with love as the guide and no fear of failure.”

Hometown: Bronx, NY

Family Members: Married

Fun fact about yourself: I enjoy dancing and traveling. I have been all over the globe and traveled to over 50 countries.

Undergraduate School and Degree:

American Military University – BA, Homeland Security

American Military University – AA, Counter Terrorism Studies

Where are you currently working? Commissioned Officer, U.S. Navy.

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles:

Junior Officer Military Performer of the Quarter, DoD, 1 Oct – 31 Dec 2016

Company Grade Officer Performer of the Month, USAF, November 2017

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school?  I am most proud of completing – with resilience to the new demand on work-life balance – a STEM-accredited Executive MBA program to advance my career and life after the military. It was exciting to apply what I learned from my peers and in the classroom directly into my work and add value to the projects I was involved with. Additionally, I took advantage of an opportunity to study abroad in South Africa with my cohort to get first-hand business and cultural experience. This included working with a small family business in the renewable energy sector to improve its marketing operations. It boosted my confidence and solidified my decision that I was in the right program, with the right cohort, and at the right time.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Among many achievements, I am most proud to have led men and women from different services throughout my career. I have been able to lead technical cross-functional teams to develop solutions, manage complex operations, and evaluate strategic plans while providing relevant assessments to drive information-based decision-making in time-sensitive environments. On top of that, I have had the great privilege of working and learning from our international partners, which has broadened my understanding of global relations and helped me become a better leader.

Why did you choose this school’s executive MBA program? I was looking at several EMBA programs in the area, but most attractive for me was the University of Maryland’s with its robust veterans’ network as part of a military-friendly school with a rigorous program and top-notch business professors. Frank Goertner, director of Federal and Veteran Affairs for the Smith School, has done an excellent job on behalf of veterans including by connecting them to outside organizations and resources to help them succeed student veterans in their academic programs and post-military careers. Additionally, the EMBA staff has streamlined the process for registering and applying for VA benefits to pay for school. This allows students to focus more on academics. I couldn’t be happier with my decision to join the Terp family.

What is the biggest lesson you gained during your MBA and how did you apply it at work? Taking the operations management course with Dr. Suresh Acharya was a great learning experience that gave me valuable new skills. Through his lectures, I became well-versed in understanding workflows, finding problems, and streamlining processes to improve operations. He not only demonstrated these concepts through academic examples, but he also shared how they can be applied in the real world. After taking his class, I was able to successfully apply my new-found knowledge and enhance several processes in my workplace, resulting in time and money savings. This further strengthened my interest in operations management and motivated me to discover more efficient solutions to everyday problems.

Give us a story during your time as an executive MBA on how you were able to juggle work, family and education? The EMBA program is rigorous and requires a tremendous amount of dedication to reading, studying, and collaborating with classmates on group projects. Instead of a specific scenario, this challenge for me is best characterized as adapting over time to figure out the best way to balance my studies with the other aspects of my life, such as personal and professional matters. Eventually I developed a rhythm that allowed me to multitask and manage my time efficiently, while prioritizing schoolwork and leaving enough room for physical fitness – something I believe to be essential for overall health and wellbeing. Throughout this challenging yet rewarding journey, I am incredibly blessed to have had the unwavering support of my family, which enabled me to successfully complete this program.

What was your biggest regret in business school? The EMBA program has interwoven executive coaches into the program to help students be more decisive and introspective leaders. However, juggling the course work and personal and professional matters can be challenging to carve out extra time for additional opportunities. Therefore, I most regret not having more time with my executive coach throughout the program to polish my leadership skills. This was in addition to not having more time for the many campus events for veterans.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? My cohort has been a truly fantastic group of individuals, and I have learned something new from every one of them. To point out my favorite classmate, it would be fellow Dominican American and veteran Eduardo Ortiz. As CEO of Coforma, he has been an excellent mentor for me and others in understanding the nexus between business and technology. He says it like he sees it – he is someone you can depend on to tell you the truth. It has been such a pleasure to learn from him in this program.

What was the main reason you chose an executive MBA program over part-time or online alternatives? With previous experience in online schooling, I wanted to attend school in person and found the EMBA program in person to have its own set of advantages. Not only did I learn from my cohort and benefit from the many services and opportunities on campus, but I also had the chance to build lasting bonds with my classmates during and after class. The bonding aspect of the program has been a significant part of my journey, which I will always cherish.

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? I intend to continue to grow and leverage my expertise to strengthen the nation’s security by building strategic international partnerships and supporting our military. I also plan to use my skills and education to support my local community and empower my fellow veterans.

What made Glen such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2023?

“From a personal perspective, Glen was a joy to have in my class, the Global Economic Environment. His curiosity and desire to learn about the topics that we covered shone through when fearlessly asking questions that others might not have, perhaps out of self-awareness. More importantly, however, I really appreciated Glen’s interventions in the case discussions. In particular, while covering a case on a sensitive topic, the conversation got heated and the views in the class were divided. Glen’s comment, informed by personal experience, provided insights that brought the executives to a deeper understanding of the issues, and managed to unite them in their views. It was the perfect ending for that class and in fact the perfect bookend for the entire course.”

Cristian Dezso
Associate Professor
Department of Logistics, Business and Public Policy
Robert H. Smith School of Business

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