Daniel Mueller (’03) with his father, Alan Mueller (’72), President and Chief Executive Officer of Volm Companies.
Classroom Experience Leads to Career Elevation As Rio Moore (’09, M.A. ’13) advanced from course to course in his Master of Leadership and Management program, he knew that returning to Concordia was a good decision. The scenarios presented to him in class continued to find real-world applications in his job, and his supervisors took notice. Now in a second tier management position at Amazon, Rio credits his higher than average job placement to the lessons he learned in class and the resulting experience he gained in the workforce. Rio earned his undergraduate degree from Concordia and entered the workforce with Target Corporation. His leadership, organization and personal skills helped him earn a promotion, but within a few years, Rio was looking for a way to elevate his worth in the company. Rio hadn’t considered graduate school until a coworker said she was thinking about a master’s program at Concordia. “When she mentioned Concordia, my interest was piqued because of the good experience I had as an undergraduate,” said Rio. “Then, when I found out about Target’s tuition reimbursement program, the doors really opened for me to want to go back.” The pair started classes two weeks later. As he progressed through the courses, Rio applied the lessons he was learning in class to his job at Target. He landed a promotion as an executive team leader of logistics and quickly excelled in his new role. When it came time to make a career change in the summer of 2014, Rio’s knowledge and experience separated him from the field of management candidates at Amazon. In his new position, Rio oversees 30 customer service employees, measures performance metrics and develops customer service improvement plans. “Starting off at a second tier management level at Amazon is the direct result of my Concordia education and the experience I was able to apply at Target while I was taking classes,” said Rio. “I am fortunate and blessed to work for such a prestigious company that is committed to the things that are important to me – putting the customer first, hiring the best, and developing talent.”
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FALL 2014 • CONCORDIA S T. PAUL MAGAZINE
Volm Scholarship Combines Family and Corporate Values Family members who run Volm Companies are serious about business. They’re also serious about supporting the next generation of business leaders. The Volm Scholarship provides $30,000 annually to Concordia business students (up to $10,000 each, renewable each year), opportunities for mentorship, and the offer of an internship within the company. The generous scholarship increases to $40,000 in 2015-16. “We’re financially supporting the next generation of business students. We’re also providing a level of mentorship by meeting with students and through an internship so they can see a business run by Christian leaders,” said Volm Companies VP of Business Development & Corporate Strategy, Daniel Mueller (’03), the grandson of company founder Gerald Volm. “We want them to see that [a Christian business] can be balanced and successful.” The Volm family tree has many branches of Concordia graduates, including plenty of Volm Company employees and several members of upper management. They have witnessed Concordia respond to the needs of students, specifically by increasing experiences such as internships, which build the relevant expertise that is now so crucial for graduates entering the workforce. Daniel remembers the opportunities that he, himself, gained at Concordia, which later helped him stand out as he faced a Dartmouth MBA application committee. By providing the scholarship and internship, Daniel and his family have become partners with Concordia in preparing thoughtful and informed business leaders. “We believe we’re obeying a directive to serve others,” said Daniel. “We can offer our time and experiences, and we’re blessed that we can also offer scholarships.”