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Executive MBA Affords Bradley Hof New Opportunities

Story by Mia Gleason • Photo courtesy of Bradley Hof

Fred Peterson’s leadership class gave me insights into my own leadership style. – Bradley Hof

Bradley Hof (’19 EMBA) says graduating from the online Executive MBA program (EMBA) was a milestone that enabled him to grow in areas he didn’t know were possible, as well as earn the opportunity for a promotion within his company.

As the director of digital solutions and data science for Textron Specialized Vehicles, Hof oversees product development for fleet management, including business intelligence and data science. Previously, Hof was the senior IT manager; he attributes his success to skills gained in the EMBA program.

“I had no idea what an EMBA was. The president of Textron mentioned it and told me to look into pursuing the degree,” says Hof.

Based on the feedback from his company’s president and personal interests, Hof began his search with specific criteria in mind.

“I started researching programs and landed on WSU. Because my job has me moving around a lot, my ultimate decision came down to technology and having an online community,” he says. “I’m a big believer in data-driven decisions and data as an asset to the company. This was talked about in the curriculum.”

“I really enjoyed my time in the program; it taught me a lot about my time management and gave me a lot of confidence in business. Because I come from a software IT background, I was missing that confidence to lead,” says Hof. “Fred Petersen’s leadership course was one of my favorites because it gave me a lot of insight into my own leadership style; knowing that others have the same leadership style as I do really opened my eyes.”