Harnessing Analytics to Navigate a Constantly Changing World

Why a master’s degree? Why now?

For Kristi Ryujin, associate dean for graduate programs at Leeds, the growth and longevity of Leeds’ graduate degrees signals the importance of specialized education for professionals seeking to jumpstart a career, reskill, upskill and build a network.

“The needs of industry are rapidly changing, and having the right knowledge and experience is more important than ever,” Ryujin said. “Students who are comfortable with data and technology, who are agile and able to learn on the fly, will be more successful.”

Leeds’ graduate programs are designed with that in mind, Ryujin explained. In addition to technical fluency, students gain hands-on experience through case studies, live projects, guest speakers, competitions and micro-internships.

Leeds celebrated the 10th anniversary of its MS in Business Analytics and MS in Supply Chain Analytics programs—two of seven master’s degrees that showcase the school’s commitment to academic innovation, entrepreneurial thinking, and preparing students to lead in a world marked by disruption and transformation.

  We’re preparing students not just to adapt in a data-driven world—but to lead it. 

Kristi Ruyjin, Associate Dean for Graduate Programs

From parkour to Google

For Colin Pistell (MBusAn’16), a serendipitous connection with teaching instructor Gregg Macaluso (now emeritus) led him to Leeds. Pistell studied cinema production at the University of Southern California as an undergrad and earned his MBA from the University of North Carolina. His career first took shape around his passion for parkour—a physical practice involving free running, jumping and climbing outdoors. He started an outdoor education business for kids. While he found it gratifying, it ultimately was physically demanding and not financially rewarding.

When Pistell and his wife moved to Boulder, prospective employers told him he didn’t have enough technical skills—despite his having an MBA and self-taught coding competency. Leeds’ MS in Business Analytics helped him see the “blind spots” in his skillset and gain valuable connections in the process. He was employed upon graduation, landing consulting roles with DAS42 and then Slalom. He moved to Looker as a technical success manager, and when the company was acquired by Google, Pistell advanced into his current role as a senior software engineer.

Making the right choice

While a degree enabled Pistell’s career pivot, Tanner Ryan’s interest in the supply chain field blossomed while he was an undergrad. When Leeds announced its one-year MS program in 2014, Ryan (Mgmt’14, MSupCha’15) was all in, even declining a job offer to attend. “It effectively became a 4+1 degree program,” he said, enabling him to complete his bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. “I already had established relationships with professors and peers, and the decision was the right choice for my career aspirations.”

That decision paid off: When Ryan went back out to apply for jobs after getting his master’s, he received double the salary offer.

“Most students come to Leeds’ graduate programs with an understanding of what degree they want to pursue,” said Ryujin. “But it’s here where they define their career goals and have the opportunity to hone the skills necessary for success.”

Admission officers help graduate students fully assess their goals and existing personal and professional commitments. They guide them to the right attendance modality to meet their needs, Ryujin noted: traditional in-person, evenings, weekends, or a hybrid of online and remote synchronous engagement.

 Choosing a master’s—and putting my full enthusiasm behind it—gave me the depth I was looking for in an advanced degree. 

Tanner Ryan (Mgmt’14, MSupCha’15)

“Choosing a master’s—and putting my full enthusiasm behind it—gave me the depth I was looking for in an advanced degree,” said Ryan. “After the breadth of business education I received from undergrad at Leeds, I hoped it would give me that edge to be one step farther in my supply chain praxis.”

From crisis to confidence

Ryan’s career-defining moment came in 2019 when he joined Danone as a senior category manager. “I was just settling in when COVID hit in March 2020,” said Ryan. “It was my first true supply chain purchasing role after coming from operations at Shell. If changing companies, industries and functions all at the same time wasn’t enough, COVID put me right in the middle of the biggest learning experience of my life at that time,” he added.

The pandemic exposed critical vulnerabilities in supply chains. To work effectively under the challenges required “the ability to research, draw conclusions quickly and socialize ideas with decisionmakers and colleagues when it counted most,” said Ryan.

“Had I not received that foundational knowledge and hands-on experience at Leeds, I doubt I would’ve been placed in a role with that level of responsibility during a global crisis, let alone succeeded,” he said. “The education I received at CU, along with the preparation for how to network, support colleagues and ask for help, gave me the necessary tools to draw on as we navigated unknown circumstances.”

Hands-on experience is the key to understanding the full picture of what the data may be showing, said Ryan. It helps you see whether you have enough data and the right data. “The decisions I make impact hundreds of people and can have impacts on unknown numbers of others in the future. It’s critical that students understand the gravity of the decisions they will need data to assist in making,” he said.

The Leeds edge

Over the past decade, Leeds has revamped its curriculum to address major shifts in supply chains and analytics, explained Dan Zhang, associate dean for research and academics. The programs emphasize practical applications of tools and techniques.

“What Leeds does well is teach the why behind the tools—first principles,” said Pistell. “Especially with AI, understanding foundations is more useful than learning syntax that may change tomorrow.”

Zhang noted that Leeds faculty conduct cutting-edge research, integrate it into the classroom, then pair it with industry-sourced experiential learning projects and internships to ensure that students grasp real-world business needs.

 What Leeds does well is teach the why behind the tools—first principles. 

Colin Pistell (MBusAn’16)

“With the creep of AI and other technologies into our everyday use, hands-on experience and physical connection to supply chains, coupled with a deep understanding of these new tools, will enable future students to make decisions in an empowered, holistic manner,” explained Ryan.

A lifelong community

“The networking between students, faculty and the broader business world was the most important piece,” said Pistell. He credits faculty like Nick Reinholtz and Dan Zhang as enduring mentors, and he has remained involved by hiring and mentoring students and connecting with other alumni.

Ryan looks forward to continued engagement with students as they become future supply chain leaders. “No matter how far apart our industries or physical distance, we can all provide a more connected support network and use supply chains to shape a better world,” he said.

Pistell summed it up: “When alums stay engaged, it strengthens the program—and that makes a degree more valuable. It’s a flywheel.”

Learn more about Leeds’ new master’s programs in analytics>>.