A year after going private, Dell and its employees are invigorated by the changes occurring within the company; Dell is moving swiftly in an ever-changing industry, delivering on its strategic objectives as the fastest-growing integrated IT Company in the world and enabling its customers to reach their full potential. They have been great supporters of the Business Honors Program and are the class sponsor for this year’s BHP senior class. Casey Lehmann and Mackenzie Lemmer are two BHP Alumni influencing Dell’s bottom line in an impactful way.
Casey and Mackenzie graduated from Dell’s Finance Development Program (FDP), an entry-level program that consists of four rotations over the course of two years within Dell’s finance organization. The accelerated development, breadth of career opportunities and executive exposure are key characteristics the FDP program provides to participants. We asked each of them a few questions to gather more insight into their experiences at Dell.
Casey Lehmann
Degree: BHP and Finance, 2010
Current Role: Productivity & Transformation Organization (PTO)
Previous Roles: Mergers & Acquisition Integration Management Office and four roles through FDP: Services Finance, Software & Peripherals Pricing, Treasury, and Global Operations Process Enablement
What are some of the qualities of Dell that attracted you to work here? How do you see those permeate throughout the organization today?
The fast-paced, ever-changing, exciting, “never know what you’re gonna get today” vibe of the tech industry fits well with my personality. Learning new things on a daily basis grasps my interests and keeps me growing in my career, a quality about Dell that differentiates it from other Fortune 100 companies. I’ve had six different roles in my first four years at Dell, which has allowed me to gain a broad perspective on the company as a whole, learn about various different types of finance roles and observe lots of management styles. The broad range of diverse roles in a large company makes my options for my career path seem limitless. I appreciate that Dell not only values its people through numerous development programs, but they also value giving back to the community. Just last week, I had a team event where we volunteered at a local food pantry. It’s great to work for a company that not only invests heavily in its employees, but also in its community.
How has Dell empowered you to develop the necessary skills to rise vertically within the organization?
The development programs at Dell are top-notch. Dell invest in its employees through classroom-based curriculum that applies the theoretical information you learned in school to a real-life setting, simulation-based learning that tests how you would react in various pressure-filled situations, sessions on how to better your presentation skills, speaker sessions where you can learn firsthand from the advice of executives at the company, conferences, mentors, regular feedback, etc. They work on building out not only your business & financial acumen, but also the soft people skills as well. The skills I’ve learned in the program have definitely set me up for success in my future endeavors.
What is the biggest change you’ve seen as a result of Dell’s privatization?
Decisions are being made much faster and investments are being undertaken with a longer term focus in mind.
Mackenzie Lemmer
Degree: BHP and Finance, 2010
Current Role: Investor Relations
Previous Roles: Global Assurance & Transformation and four roles through FDP: EMEA G500 FP&A and Jr. Controller, EMEA Accounting, Public Special Pricing and Corporate Opex. (Note: EMEA stands for Europe, Middle East and Africa. EMEA is one of the three business regions for Dell).
Working in the technology industry is demanding and fast-paced, how do you manage these challenges in your role on a day-to-day basis?
Because the tech industry moves so quickly, priorities can often shift week-to-week, and even day-to-day, and I have to ensure that I have effective strategies that enable me to deliver my responsibilities at an extremely high level. Having an open communication channel with your management team is imperative to making sure that you are focused on the areas that will add the most value to the organization. I meet regularly with my manager to ensure I correctly prioritize my work.
What makes you excited about coming to work every day? What is your favorite part about working at Dell?
For me, it has always been about the people. I enjoy working in roles in which there is a strong team component, both internally and externally, because I like collaborating and sharing ideas. I really enjoy that the Dell Finance Organization is partnership-based, meaning that we support and partner with other organizations in the company such as Sales, Marketing, etc. It provides an opportunity to learn about our core business and see the full impact we have on our customers.
What advice do you have for students currently looking for internships and full-time jobs?
When I was going through recruiting, I wish I had spent more time understanding how my prospective employers view the development of their workforces. I lucked out that I ended up at Dell, which is a company that invests a significant amount of time and resources into its people. My advice is to look for a company that is going to invest in you.
Feel free to reach out to Casey Lehmann or Mackenzie Lemmer with any questions you may have.
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