The time our students spend at Carlson School prepares them for the rest of their professional journey. After graduation, alumni continue to work hard in their fields and have incredible experiences. We love to remain connected in our community and hear about our alumni’s stories. Recently, we had the pleasure of connecting with ’06 alumnus Vadzim Piuneu and ’17 alumna Jennifer Halbert Byrne. They share their journeys since graduation, and their experiences inspire us as we envision what powerful impacts our current and future alumni will make.
’06 Alumnus Vadzim Piuneu
First, can you tell us a little bit about your educational experience? How did you come to choose to attend the University of Minnesota to earn your Master’s at the Carlson School? How would you describe your experience in our program?
Deniz Ones, an I/O psychology professor [at the University of Minnesota] told me once, “Vadzim, you are HR material.” I will never forget it because I had to go and look up what “HR” meant. As I learned about the field, I became very interested and thought that Deniz was right. I saw myself applying my psychology background in business and decided to go for it. I researched the top programs in the U.S., and being a Wisconsin resident at that time, Carlson made perfect sense.
The two years at Carlson was by far the most memorable student experience. Perhaps, the clarity of what I wanted, the support of the business center with finding the internships, and being surrounded by my peers with the exact same interests and challenges played a big role. If I could go back in time and pick any two years to live over again, it would be my two years of graduate school.
What has been your career path? How has it shifted over the years since graduating? How did our program impact and prepare you for your career?
I joined the HR development program at Chevron, and it was a great choice. This program really accelerated my career in many ways. The international experience, early leadership roles, and phenomenal network of friends and colleagues continue to pay dividends even today. In my case, I “grew up” as an HR leader in the energy industry and learned this business well. I did take a few roles outside of oil and gas, but before I knew it, I was drawn back. My first labor relations experience was with Chevron, but it really came to fruition when I worked in Kansas for Eaton and led union labor contract negotiations as a chief spokesman. Although Eaton did a great job preparing the team, I remember going back to Professor Remington’s Labor Relations class’s notes where we simulated negotiations. It felt just as real during the class because our grades depended on how well we negotiated with our classmates. Early leadership roles, international experience, and first chair at the bargaining table proved to be a ticket to many senior roles I had later in my career.
Are you connected to other alumni or professors from the program?
Yes, I certainly am. One of the real gifts the program gave me is the network of friends. Many classmates are my former colleagues, peers and some could be my future bosses. Many of us became executives and are all over the country. We are all connected on LinkedIn or Facebook, and check in with each other periodically.
Have you lived or worked abroad during your career? If so, can you share some of your experiences?
Singapore, Russia, and now Saudi Arabia are three international locations that I can talk about extensively. Each has a very unique culture. In the Middle East, for example, the concept of fairness, treating people with dignity and respect, and seeing a senior leader as a “father figure” for all the employees is very real. Back home in the U.S., we have gotten very comfortable with balancing the books at the expense of people’s jobs, and unfortunately, it became a norm. As I work abroad I see a bit more “human” in human resources and hope to bring it back home wherever my next role may be.
What are some of your proudest accomplishments, and/or what is a project that you are a part of and passionate about?
It is hard to pin down one… I picked up on one strategy early in my career, and it has opened many doors for me: I am very proud of taking leaps into the roles no one wanted. They were either in remote locations or under a very tough boss.
Wherever I worked, I always built relationships with the local community colleges or universities where I could volunteer as a guest speaker or run some workshops for students who could use help with their resumes or interviewing skills. Volunteering in academia has been the most rewarding experience by far.
What other goals do you hope to accomplish?
Professionally I am very content. With a young family, my next several years will be focused on spending as much time with them as possible. I have 20 years ahead of me, and I must admit, the last 15 went by way too fast.
What advice would you give to current students?
Pick tough classes and as many business classes as possible. There is no measure of how impactful it is to understand the business you will support and get up to speed quickly. HR is a true business function that must speak “finance,” “sales,” “marketing,” etc. as fluently as those functions themselves.
How do you like to spend your free time?
Free time nowadays revolves around the kids: Boy Scouts, sports (swimming, tennis, scuba diving) seem to be at the top of family leisure activities of choice. We love to backpack and just be outside as much as possible. I see this continuing well into my late years…
Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity to share my experiences. The exercise of actually writing things and thinking back provoked a lot of great memories, and it all started at Carlson. What an unforgettable experience, and a great ride after graduation! Thank you.
’17 Alumna Jennifer Halbert Byrne
First, can you tell us a little bit about your educational experience? How did you come to choose to attend the University of Minnesota to earn your Master’s at the Carlson School? How would you describe your experience in our program?
For undergrad, I attended Valparaiso University and studied international public relations. After a few years of working in HR, and obtaining my PHR certification, I decided I wanted to continue my education to help enhance my career opportunities and breadth of understanding of the HR function. I looked at schools all over the country and coming to Carlson just felt right. I really liked the idea of being in a metro area with the ability to connect with businesses throughout the Twin Cities. I was most excited about the opportunity to gain exposure to real business challenges in the classroom. My experience at Carlson exceeded my expectations from a learning and recruitment standpoint. The staff and professors in the HRIR program are second to none. Supplementing that learning by selecting MBA classes to participate in really enhanced the experience. Having the opportunity to connect my classwork with business challenges through case studies, company-focused assignments, and volunteer opportunities helped get me prepared for the next steps ahead.
What has been your career path? How has it shifted over the years since graduating? How did our program impact and prepare you for your career?
I initially had ambitions of working at a public relations firm, but as I finished undergrad, with the recession slowly improving, I decided to move back to Michigan and see what I could find at home. I started my career working for a staffing company; starting with new employee training, onboarding and moving into a recruitment role. Through that experience I found passion in helping people find a meaningful next step in their career. From there, I transitioned into the international philanthropy space as a human resources specialist, in talent acquisition. After about five years in talent acquisition I decided it was time for something new and sought the best way to move into a business partner role to impact business at a larger scale, from a human capital standpoint; that’s where Carlson came in. I started my career with Land O’Lakes in Tulare, California for my graduate HR internship. Then began full-time after graduation in Pine Island, Minnesota in supply chain HR, and now am a HR business partner for our WinField United business.
Are you connected to other alumni or professors from the program?
Yes! I keep in touch with quite a few of my classmates from Carlson, socially and professionally; some of whom I am lucky to call colleagues, at Land O’Lakes.
What are some of your proudest accomplishments, and/or what is a project that you are a part of and passionate about?
I am currently working on an organizational strategy project with one of the teams I support. This is exciting and challenging work and is extremely important for teams going through changes in their operating environment. Being able to step back and look at the big picture of what an organization needs and being a key partner in that is really rewarding.
I’ve really enjoyed my experiences working in supply chain HR; it’s a vital experience to add to your toolkit to understand processes, procedures and how products get made at your company. It also gives you insight to how different locations operate and how their challenges may differ from those in an office.
What other goals do you hope to accomplish?
My professional goals are always evolving and changing but are focused on continually learning and opening myself up to new challenges. Right now, I’m making sure I raise my hand for opportunities that sound intriguing or like an area I could use development in. Right now, I’m continuing to build up my understanding of other business functions and how I can add value as an HR partner now, and more holistically in my career.
What advice would you give to current students?
You get out of the program what you put in. There are countless opportunities available to you; this is the time to take advantage of them to help prepare you for your career and build a foundation and a broad network. Get out there and figure out what you like – it might even change as you go through your career, and that’s okay!
How do you like to spend your free time?
There is always something fun to do and explore in Minneapolis – parks, lakes and trails or local food and beer! My husband and I like to travel and see live music as much as we can.
Thank you to Vadzim and Jennifer for sharing your experiences with us! Through these stories, we feel proud and inspired by our alumni and look forward to hearing more about where in the world our degree takes each of you.
Proposals are now being accepted for breakout session speakers for the 41st annual HR Tomorrow Conference, Workforce Transformation HowWeTransform, being held on Friday, April 17, 2020, at the Carlson School of Management. 
Staff Member Stacy Doepner-Hove
Congratulations to alumna Alex Smith, ’04, who recently received the 2019 Human Resource Management Excellence Award presented by Tennessee SHRM (Society for Human Resources Management). This award is only given to one executive each year.
