Ken Sekley

Adjunct Instructor, at Darla Moore School of Business

Schools

  • Darla Moore School of Business

Links

Biography

Darla Moore School of Business

Background

Ken Sekley is an adjunct instructor in the Department of Management at the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. He received his MBA from the Harvard Business School, an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from Rutgers Univeristy, and a B.S.E. from Princeton University, also in chemical engineering. Sekley is CEO of Southland Log Homes LLC, a designer and building materials supplier and the largest log home manufacturer in North America. His career includes senior management roles in a number of diverse industries, including pre-fabricated home additions, paints and coatings, turf products and crop protection products. Earlier in his career, Sekley helped to start up a strategy consulting firm that worked with a number of Fortune 500 companies. He began his career in process development and operational roles at ExxonMobil.

What courses do you teach?

MGMT 778, Small Business Management, for the Professional MBA program

Why should a student take your class? How does your class help students become employable?

MGMT 778 provides a practical guidance and discussion of case studies dealing with the start up, growth and ongoing management of small business — a potentially rewarding and satisfying career option at any life stage.

How does your prior experience contribute to the classroom discussion and the way you teach?

I frequently cite personal examples from my diverse career of working with small and large businesses. I also try to leverage the personal experience of the students in the class in extensive discussions of the course material.

What is one thing you try to teach ALL of your students?

The challenge, and the satisfaction, of a small business comes from the opportunity for one person, or a small team, to have a profound impact and to manage many of the same operational and functional elements that drive much larger businesses.

What is your teaching style?

Highly participatory

What are your expectations for students?

Come to class prepared to engage in the discussion, with knowledge of the material, and your own unique personal perspective.

What inspires you about your work?

The opportunity for businesses big and small to change the world

What are you doing when you’re not working?

Being physically active and being outdoors

 

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