Tauber Institute alumni bring their operations expertise to leadership roles in a wide variety of fields, all over the globe. Read about what some of our alumni are doing today, and learn about the impact their Tauber experience has had on their career paths.
BSE-ME / MSE- MEng MFG '95
Director of Engineering, Research & Development
La-Z-Boy Incorporated
Jaime McPherson (BSE-ME / MSE- MEng MFG '95) is Director of Engineering, Research & Development at La-Z-Boy, where he leads multiple teams developing and improving new products.
Q: In what ways did your Tauber experience shape the professional that you are now?
A. I've found the cross-functional training at Tauber to be invaluable in collaborating with business partners across all types of teams. The broad perspective from Tauber helps break down barriers, increase understanding, and build more effective solutions.
Q: What recurring principles do you see showing up in your career?
A. Everyone fails and makes mistakes. Don't waste a good crisis. It is how we react to the mistakes that make us stronger. Work hard to understand people's career goals; help them create a plan to achieve their dreams. It takes commitment but is extremely rewarding.
Q: What advice would you give to current or future Tauber students?
A. Build strong relationships with your peers. I find it amazing how much insight can be gained by talking through complex problems with other people who are going through similar issues. At times the solution may be obvious but you won't realize the solution until you've talked through it. The issues you face may seem daunting but they can be overcome with strategy, planning, and perseverance.
Q: What would fellow alums be surprised to know about you?
A. My wife and I have three teenagers and I haven't convinced them to be Michigan fans! Henia Kamil (former U-M College of Engineering Academic Manager) inspired me to bring a casserole to one of our get-togethers and her compliments inspired my love of cooking.