The Monroe Street Journal

Issue date: 2/4/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Li Sun

Describing himself as "a glass-half-full" type of guy, Mr. Fritz Henderson, the current CFO of General Motors, paid a notable visit to the Ross School of Business last Wednesday. A small group of approximately 20 MBA and BBA students waited patiently as the CFO made his way to the Dean's Seminar Room in Wyley Hall. Friendly and enthusiastic, Mr. Henderson shared his professional path, gave career advice, and elaborated on job opportunities in General Motors.

Mr. Henderson's career path was very broad. After his BBA in 1980, Mr. Henderson worked for Price Waterhouse Cooper as a public accountant. After a couple of years as a successful accountant, Mr. Henderson received his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1984. Instead of looking into careers in Investment Banking or Consulting, Mr. Henderson surprised his classmates by joining General Motors.

Starting as a financial analyst in New York, Mr. Henderson worked his way around many facets of GM's business. After making his through the GMAC mortgage business, Mr. Henderson decided to focus on car manufacturing. He worked in areas such as operations, finance, and restructuring in various locations including Latin America and Europe.

"I started in GM in 1984, and for over 23 years, I had a chance to work for almost everyone in the world," remarked Mr. Henderson. Throughout this international exposure at GM, Mr. Henderson worked tirelessly in what he called the "three-shift-one-crew management team."

"I happened to find that working in the global environment can be extremely exciting. But however, it is a little tough on the body," said Mr. Henderson. "Because I was answering phone calls all night, there is three shifts and one crew - You."

After explaining his experiences, Mr. Henderson shared a bit of career advice which can be simply put into three principles: 1) pick what you love to do, 2) get challenged, 3) do a great job, and 4) multiply your options.

"First, do what you enjoy. I knew when I joined GM what I was getting into," said Mr. Henderson. "I knew it would be a great challenge and I kind of like that."

"Second, get challenged because that's where you learn. You become much better when you deal with tougher experiences," remarked Mr. Henderson. "Just like in sports, you become much better when you play tougher competition."

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools