{"id":514843,"date":"2024-11-22T09:32:41","date_gmt":"2024-11-22T14:32:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/?p=514843"},"modified":"2025-05-02T14:12:24","modified_gmt":"2025-05-02T18:12:24","slug":"poole-pack-profiles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/poole-pack-profiles\/","title":{"rendered":"Poole Pack Profiles: Meet Marcus Rountree"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n

A first-generation college graduate, Marcus Rountree taught middle school science and coached basketball for two years before deciding to pursue his dream: getting a master\u2019s degree. After one visit to NC State, Rountree was sold. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"group
Marcus Rountree (fourth from right) with fellow Poole Pack members at the Black Men in Tech Conference. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAround the time I started researching different programs, my younger cousin was trying to decide which college to go to and said, \u2018Hey Marcus, can you take me to NC State for their career day?\u2019 So I took her, and while they were welcoming everyone to the event, the director said, \u2018We also have a wonderful MBA program,\u2019\u201d he remembers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the rest is history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Rountree is a senior manager of product management for transformation at McDonalds. An apt title for someone who\u2019s made quite a transformation himself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why the Jenkins MBA?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe thing that really grabbed me about the Jenkins MBA program was the hands-on experience,\u201d he says. \u201cOther MBA programs focus a lot on theory, but the Jenkins MBA program provided opportunities to work with local businesses and do case studies and projects with industry and community partners.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also appreciated the program\u2019s opportunities to grow as a leader, such as study abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing in Prague was a pivotal moment for me, and now that I\u2019m in a global role at McDonald\u2019s, I see how it\u2019s helped me take my leadership to the next level. Because I lived abroad for a brief period of time, I\u2019m more sensitive to some of the different needs and challenges in specific markets.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most important of all, Rountree says, taking advantage of career coaching in the Poole Career Center helped him communicate his personal value proposition. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\n

“\u2026 it\u2019s all because of how many doors the Jenkins MBA program opened. And the ROI of the program just keeps going up.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs a career switcher, it was really important for me to learn how to present myself and tell my career story \u2013 that I wasn\u2019t just a teacher, but a business leader with strong skills in communication, collaboration and coaching,\u201d Rountree says. \u201cThe resources at the Jenkins MBA program helped me make that pivot and break into the technology industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blazing a New Path <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After graduating with his MBA, Rountree landed a job at Lowe\u2019s as a product marketing specialist. From there, his career took off \u2014 taking him to Amazon, Nordstrom and now McDonald\u2019s. In his role, Rountree identifies opportunities to integrate technology to improve the owner-operator and crew experiences, and position the restaurant chain for long-term success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about looking at technology as the lever to pull to take this global company into the future and doing something even bigger than what we\u2019ve already done,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhenever someone asks me how my job\u2019s going, I always say, \u2018I\u2019m Lovin It.\u2019 It\u2019s the cheesiest line ever, but I\u2019m so sincere about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Journey of a Lifetime<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I think about this journey I\u2019ve been on \u2013 from that small middle school gym in Raleigh to the biggest fast-food restaurant company in the world \u2013 I realize just how transformative the Jenkins MBA program has been for me,\u201d Rountree says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy income is 10 times what it was when I was a teacher, and it\u2019s all because of how many doors the Jenkins MBA program opened. And the ROI of the program just keeps going up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

\n

More from Poole Business: Fall 2024<\/h2>\n

As North Carolina\u2019s Think and Do business school, we create real value for our graduates \u2014 making a difference not just in their lives, but in businesses and communities across the state.<\/p>\n \n

\n \n \n
\n
\n "students\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n \n

New Spaces Fuel Innovation and Collaboration<\/h3>\n \n\n \n\t \t

Three newly-renovated spaces debuted in Nelson Hall this fall, including a high-tech active learning environment that is the first of its kind at NC State.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span><\/p>\n\t \t \n <\/div>\n\n <\/a>\n\n \n

\n
\n "Poole\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n \n

From the Dean: Our Economic Impact<\/h3>\n \n\n \n\t \t

As North Carolina\u2019s Think and Do business school, we create real value for our graduates \u2014 making a difference not just in their lives, but in businesses and communities across North Carolina.<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span><\/p>\n\t \t \n <\/div>\n\n <\/a>\n\n \n

\n
\n "&quot;Poole\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n \n

Stats and Strengths<\/h3>\n \n\n \n\t \t

Climbing in national rankings, new academic programs, game-changing research \u2014 check out these highlights and more from across the college. <\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span><\/p>\n\t \t \n <\/div>\n\n <\/a>\n\n <\/div>\n\n \n See all in current issue<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n","protected":false,"raw":"\n\n\n\n\n

A first-generation college graduate, Marcus Rountree taught middle school science and coached basketball for two years before deciding to pursue his dream: getting a master\u2019s degree. After one visit to NC State, Rountree was sold. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"group
Marcus Rountree (fourth from right) with fellow Poole Pack members at the Black Men in Tech Conference. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAround the time I started researching different programs, my younger cousin was trying to decide which college to go to and said, \u2018Hey Marcus, can you take me to NC State for their career day?\u2019 So I took her, and while they were welcoming everyone to the event, the director said, \u2018We also have a wonderful MBA program,\u2019\u201d he remembers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the rest is history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Rountree is a senior manager of product management for transformation at McDonalds. An apt title for someone who\u2019s made quite a transformation himself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why the Jenkins MBA?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe thing that really grabbed me about the Jenkins MBA program was the hands-on experience,\u201d he says. \u201cOther MBA programs focus a lot on theory, but the Jenkins MBA program provided opportunities to work with local businesses and do case studies and projects with industry and community partners.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also appreciated the program\u2019s opportunities to grow as a leader, such as study abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing in Prague was a pivotal moment for me, and now that I\u2019m in a global role at McDonald\u2019s, I see how it\u2019s helped me take my leadership to the next level. Because I lived abroad for a brief period of time, I\u2019m more sensitive to some of the different needs and challenges in specific markets.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most important of all, Rountree says, taking advantage of career coaching in the Poole Career Center helped him communicate his personal value proposition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs a career switcher, it was really important for me to learn how to present myself and tell my career story \u2013 that I wasn\u2019t just a teacher, but a business leader with strong skills in communication, collaboration and coaching,\u201d Rountree says. \u201cThe resources at the Jenkins MBA program helped me make that pivot and break into the technology industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blazing a New Path <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After graduating with his MBA, Rountree landed a job at Lowe\u2019s as a product marketing specialist. From there, his career took off \u2014 taking him to Amazon, Nordstrom and now McDonald\u2019s. In his role, Rountree identifies opportunities to integrate technology to improve the owner-operator and crew experiences, and position the restaurant chain for long-term success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about looking at technology as the lever to pull to take this global company into the future and doing something even bigger than what we\u2019ve already done,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhenever someone asks me how my job\u2019s going, I always say, \u2018I\u2019m Lovin It.\u2019 It\u2019s the cheesiest line ever, but I\u2019m so sincere about it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Journey of a Lifetime<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I think about this journey I\u2019ve been on \u2013 from that small middle school gym in Raleigh to the biggest fast-food restaurant company in the world \u2013 I realize just how transformative the Jenkins MBA program has been for me,\u201d Rountree says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy income is 10 times what it was when I was a teacher, and it\u2019s all because of how many doors the Jenkins MBA program opened. And the ROI of the program just keeps going up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A first-generation college graduate, Marcus Rountree taught middle school science and coached basketball for two years before deciding to pursue his dream: getting a master\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":515016,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"views\/single-immersive.blade.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"","ncst_custom_author":"Jannah Shakil","ncst_show_custom_author":true,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/side-by-side-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"backgroundColor\":\"custombg_one\",\"focalPoint\":{\"x\":0.53,\"y\":0.36},\"mediaID\":514910,\"titleColor\":\"red_400\",\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"subtitle\":\"\",\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"displayCategoryID\":5,\"image\":\"{\\\"alt\\\":\\\"Marcus Rountree\\\",\\\"id\\\":514963,\\\"caption\\\":\\\"\\\",\\\"url\\\":\\\"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/425\/2024\/11\/Marcus-Rountree-683x1024.jpg\\\"}\"}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[79,5],"tags":[],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[68],"class_list":["post-514843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-success","category-student-alumni"],"displayCategory":{"term_id":5,"name":"Student and Alumni Success","slug":"student-alumni","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":38,"filter":"raw"},"acf":{"ncst_posts_meta_modified_date":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/514843","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=514843"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/514843\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":515078,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/514843\/revisions\/515078"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/515016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=514843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=514843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=514843"},{"taxonomy":"_ncst_magazine_issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/poole.ncsu.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/_ncst_magazine_issue?post=514843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}