Bill Melton

Hometown (City and State): Roswell, NM 

Undergraduate School and Major: UT Austin, B.S. Chemical Engineering

Employer and Job Titles: Halliburton

• Field Engineer
• Account Representative
• Engineering Manager
• Global Account Manager
• Business Development Manager

What led you to pursue an MBA? I’d completed all of the leadership and business acumen training offered at Halliburton but was still looking for more challenging material in an environment complimented with experienced professionals from other companies in the oil and gas space — especially from individuals in other industries.        

Why did you choose Rice for your executive MBA? I found the nearly unfettered access to top notch faculty and a diverse student body to be the most compelling points. What sealed the decisions for me was when I attended a preview session and was able to observe first-hand the camaraderie and back and forth of the class. 

What has been a highlight of the program? The highlight thus far for me was our third executive forum at the start of our second year. It was great to get the entire class back together after a summer apart, and then to see how we had all of the tools from our core classes to weave together a really meaningful understanding of corporate strategy and leadership issues.  

What has surprised you about the journey so far? It is the subtleties in how my thought process has evolved that has surprised me most. I kept waiting for an “AHA!” moment where all of the sudden it would all come together in some miraculous symphonic understanding, but I now recognize it is a continual shift in how I perceive challenges in everyday work environment and see those opportunities to implement what I have learned. When I take a step back it is even obvious to me in the way I approach my conversations with executive management.     

What advice do you have for prospective students? First, you have to see it to believe it, attending a preview session is a good use of half a day. Second, consider this more about the quality of people you will build relationships with and don’t be scared away by the work load.