Profile

Vice President of IT Services, Avineon

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By Katie Ford

With her newfound knowledge, Choung was able to get involved with more aspects of the company's operations. Her ability to contribute on a broader scale earned her two promotions—each with salary increases. First, she moved up to manager of an IT group, overseeing two people; then she became the director of information systems, overseeing 30 people. Her transition from a “nuts and bolts” technical role to bigger-picture managerial roles prompted a second trip to graduate school.

“My technical degrees gave me the knowledge to implement the projects, but I was still learning more of the business and management aspects of the job,” admits Choung, who at that point had never taken an accounting or finance course. “I knew I wanted to pursue an MBA in the future, but at the time, I was leveraging other senior management to help me learn the ropes.”

Choung says she was also interested in the leadership and organizational classes that MBA programs offer.

“As I managed more people with different personalities, I wanted to understand different approaches to managing people and teams, especially in dealing with team conflict,” she says.

Given her senior status at Avineon, Choung says, she knew she couldn't take temporary leave to pursue her MBA, so she began exploring nearby programs in the Washington , DC , area. She chose the executive MBA program at George Washington University —mainly because of the classroom format.

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