When longtime executives decide to go back to school to teach, they often get an education in the process. Students in local business school programs bring an energetic new perspective, while private industry leaders have career insights that can only be earned through experience. The three executives below, who all divide their time between teaching and business, share what it's been like returning to the classroom.
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Joe DiNunzio
President, Fido Management LLC
Assistant professor, University of California Davis Graduate School of Management
After a decades-long career in marketing and management, Joe DiNunzio found himself looking for a new challenge. What started as the occasional guest lecture at UC Davis has grown into a decade of teaching at the university's Graduate School of Management.
“It’s not just a way to give back, it's really rewarding to shape where these students are going to be,” DiNunzio said.
He’s found that in some careers, as an employee ascends the executive ladder, they move farther away from management positions that have opportunities to provide mentorship and guidance to less experienced colleagues.
“You miss that opportunity of working closely with people,” he said.
Today, DiNunzio spends about two-thirds of his time at the university and one-third at his consulting firm, Fido Management, which helps companies craft strategies and objectives.
“At the end of the day, it's a benefit because I stay on top of things,” DiNunzio said.
Deanna Daly
Principal, Daly Consulting Group
Faculty, California State University Sacramento
At first, picking up the occasional guest lecture at Sacramento State was "just for fun," said Deanna Daly. Daly has a long history with the university, from earning her undergraduate and MBA degrees there to maintaining an active presence in its alumni association.
Daly spent the first half of her career with startups, followed by large corporations like Hewlett-Packard and Siemens, where she held positions in strategic planning and procurement. When she had her first child, the prospect of teaching became even more appealing.
“I needed the flexibility,” Daly said.
When Daly launched her own consulting company five years ago, teaching provided another opportunity to work on her own terms. Over the years she ramped up her workload from teaching one night class on a weekend, to becoming a faculty member teaching three classes per semester.
She said she enjoys the hybrid private industry-academic perspective of her Sacramento State classes, which have included project management, operations management and operation planning and inventory control.
“It’s good to have a blend of academics and practitioners," Daly said. "Frankly, when you have someone that’s lived it, it brings a context that an academic can’t.”
Marc Fechner
Executive consultant, Planetcorps Consulting
Adjunct faculty, California State University Sacramento
While it might not pay the bills, teaching brings Marc Fechner a fresh perspective on the latest trends in business and his industry.
By day, Fechner is a consultant for giants like Pacific Gas & Electric through is company Planetcorps Consulting, which focuses on performance improvement as well as supply chain, procurement and contract management. In the evenings, he teaches a few classes at Sacramento State's College of Business.
“I would be invited to be a guest speaker and I kind of loved it,” Fechner said.
Fechner teaches subjects including business strategy, quality and process improvement and behavioral science, or what he describes as the “human side of management and leadership," topics that cover both the basics of business and his own areas of expertise.
“It keeps me on my toes,” he said, adding that working with younger generations “makes me a better dad, a better manager.”