As a business executive with a long history in the technology industry, Amy Rumford brings a wealth of experience to the Poole College of Management Advisory Board. More than that, she brings her unique insight into the inner workings of the college that comes with being a college alumna – she earned her MBA from Poole College’s Jenkins MBA program – and a parent. Her oldest daughter, Sara, graduated from the college in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in entrepreneurship.
Rumford recently took on a new role as vice president of global services for RTP-based tech company ChannelAdvisor. She leads ChannelAdvisor’s Global Services team, which includes customer implementation, global technical support, account management, and managed services. Rumford’s experience includes serving in senior operations and transformation leadership roles at industry leaders including Google, Lenovo and IBM.
Her connection to Poole College of Management began after moving to the Raleigh area where she took an engineering position with IBM after graduating from Pennsylvania State University with a degree in industrial engineering. She served in a variety of roles at IBM in finance, operations, supply chain and distribution engineering.
“While with IBM, I worked with NC State as a liaison for the college’s Supply Chain Resource Cooperative (SCRC). I had the opportunity to hire Poole College graduates and engage students in projects our company was working on,” Rumford says. “Since then, I’ve served the college in many capacities, even as I changed companies. I joined the SCRC Advisory Board in 2018, the Poole College Advisory Board in 2019, and served as the president of the Jenkins MBA Alumni Council after earning my MBA in 2006.”
Beyond her service on boards, Rumford has served as a mentor for MBA students, spoken at various college events as well as in the classroom, and participated in career fairs.
I am always impressed by the Poole College students and appreciate how the college works hard to maintain a strong academic-industry connection.
“My connection to the students is what drew me in and has kept me close,” Rumford says. “I am always impressed by the Poole College students and appreciate how the college works hard to maintain a strong academic-industry connection.”
“Having served in numerous director, and more recently VP roles, for multiple companies in different industries helps me have a broad understanding of both line and support functions,” Rumford continues. “I hope that knowledge is useful in my role in advising the college of the types of skills that businesses are looking for in future hires.”
As for what Rumford believes sets Poole College apart from other local business schools, she believes it lies within the university’s larger mission.
“As North Carolina’s state university, NC State is accessible to aspiring business leaders in North Carolina,” Rumford says. “I think as long as we continue to align programming with industry needs, Poole will continue to produce quality students who are future leaders, and grow in reputation as one of the top business schools in the nation.”
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