Serving on active duty as a C-17 pilot in the US Air Force, Zach Whittle (‘17 MBA) was first apprehensive about returning to business school for his master’s degree. Fast forward nearly a decade, Whittle still applies core lessons learned from the Carson College’s Online MBA program, including evidence-based leadership and learning through real-world business scenarios, to his civilian leadership role at the aviation software company, ForeFlight.
Leading product strategy across global teams
ForeFlight designs the mobile application pilots use in the cockpit to plan and execute flights around the globe. As a group product manager for government and military aviation, Whittle oversees the end-to-end product portfolio, coordinating with a globally distributed sales force and development team to ensure users have the tools they need to complete their missions while in flight.
“Historically, once an aircrew took off, flight planners had limited ways to support them if mission parameters changed,” Whittle says. “At ForeFlight, we’ve built an ecosystem that solves this. This innovation results in safer, more agile operations and more capable aircrews around the globe.”
Whittle says he landed on the Carson MBA program because he sought a well-regarded curriculum that offered the flexibility to accommodate a hectic flight schedule and multiple deployments to the Middle East. He attributes many successes to the Carson Online MBA program, which is delivered through WSU Global Campus.
“Earning my MBA significantly sharpened my entrepreneurial toolkit,” he says, explaining that within the first eighteen months he facilitated the addition of $15 million annual recurring revenue to his product portfolio by conducting focused customer research and identifying strong demand signals—techniques he learned at Carson.
Turning MBA lessons into results
Whittle’s goal was to master the art of securing resources and building alignment for high-impact initiatives. He did this initially by recognizing two critical areas of improvement, including essential technology updates for their professional services organization, and identifying limitations in their SaaS product that unlocked value across key areas of the business. Additionally, he secured a trip to India where he chartered a new product team that would resolve internal challenges with the same solutions that delivered results for their external customers.
He was also impressed by how Carson’s MBA focuses on the intersection of disciplined decision-making and real-world problem solving, which aligns well with the lessons learned in his professional life.
“Flying taught me precision. Product taught me adaptability,” Whittle says. “My drive is to build teams and products that thrive in that balance—disciplined where it matters, experimental where it counts.”
Whittle explains there is no room for experimentation during in-flight fueling, where aircraft are nearly touching while cruising 20,000 feet off the ground at 250 miles per hour. In contrast, his current work in product management requires a strong level of adaptability, for example, studying the customer and delivering client-centered solutions. The work doesn’t end there—Whittle says his most important skill is the ability to quickly pivot when data doesn’t deliver an intended outcome.
While the Online MBA’s focus on working professionals helped make the program manageable alongside his military responsibilities, Whittle credits his wife, Kate, as his greatest partner through his military service and MBA experience.
“I have developed an agency that executives cherish—a personal responsibility that only comes from repeatedly taking on rigorous challenges and owning the results, something the Carson MBA program requires its students to practice,” Whittle says.