KU MBA graduate promoted to CEO of Lawrence-based solar and electrical company
Shortly after completing his MBA, alumnus Malcolm Proudfit was recently promoted to CEO of Good Energy Solutions. Good Energy Solutions provides solar energy systems to residential and commercial customers in Kansas and Missouri.
In the first semester of his KU MBA, Proudfit took a small business development class with Will Katz. Katz, the director of the KU Small Business Development Center, paired his MBA students with local businesses so that students could complete real-world projects for class credit.
Through the class, Proudfit was introduced to Kevin Good of Good Energy Solutions. As a result of the project and the relationship he was able to build with Good, Proudfit was offered the position of CFO/COO.
“This connection would never have been made without Will Katz and his connection with the local community,” Proudfit said.
Since starting with Good Energy Solutions at the beginning of 2020, Proudfit has applied various skills he learned during his MBA to his work with the company including best practices for hiring, enhanced operations and financial management, and how to apply economics to inform business decisions.
“My KU MBA experience was something special,” he said. “It is obvious that the program has been masterfully composed by the MBA team, as well as other faculty and staff. I was stretched and challenged every day I set foot in the MBA classroom, and I was surrounded by a group of exceptional classmates who each had tons to bring to the table. Classroom learnings as well as networking opportunities gained during my MBA have greatly benefited my career thus far.”
After choosing KU for its proximity to family, Proudfit was pleasantly surprised that his coursework exceeded his expectations. Proudfit fell in love with economics when completing his undergraduate degree, but his classes at KU expanded his knowledge of the topic.
“At the start of the MBA, I assumed that Art Hall’s economics class would be easy, when in reality, it turned out to be an entire economics degree packed into one semester,” he said. “I learned so much, which I arrogantly didn’t expect. Anyone who gets an MBA at KU needs to buckle up for Professor Hall’s class, but realize that it will be the most value-added class they’ll ever take.”
Less than two months out from his graduation from KU, Proudfit is grateful to have found an industry that he loves.
“I would encourage everyone to seek an industry that they love as well,” he added. “An MBA, particularly a KU MBA, will help them to be more effective in their career or industry of choice.”
Learn more about KU School of Business graduate programs here.
Meaghan Boyd
