UNO CBA Alumnus James Eldridge: The Professional Leader Mindset

Commitment. Leadership. Bravery.

UNO MBA Alumnus James Eldridge embodies all of these qualities and more.

Eldridge, who started the MBA program with UNO CBA in May 2014, has used these qualities as a foundation upon which to build his life. He graduated in December 2015 after taking full advantage of the growth opportunities offered by the MBA program.

During the program, Eldridge was a contributor on the Business Strategy class winning team in the 2015 Strategy Case Competition. He also transitioned into a position with Conagra Brands during his time at UNO, but considers completing the master’s degree his greatest accomplishment while at CBA.

“My experience at UNO taught me to have the mindset of a professional leader,” Eldridge says. “It taught me to think outside of the box and to consider unique solutions to complex problems.”

Eldridge feels that he particularly benefited from the experience of working with intelligent people with diverse strengths and personalities. This challenged him to refine his leadership style and opened new doors to professional and personal development.

The MBA experience ultimately equipped Eldridge with valuable leadership abilities that extended beyond the classroom. After graduation, he was prepared for another challenge.

“After graduating, I decided I wanted to take the skills that I obtained at UNO and use them in the most meaningful way that I could,” Eldridge says. “I decided to become a warrior leader and joined the United States Marine Corps.”

Eldridge commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in August 2018 and finishes intermediate officer training in March 2019. Despite the difficulty of Marine Officer training, he’s nothing but proud to have completed it alongside America’s finest, and he allows nothing to stand in the way of his commitment.

He continues training with the Signals Intelligence Officer course starting in March 2019. Eldridge completes the course in June 2019, after which he will command a signals intelligence platoon as part of II Marine Expeditionary Force. His responsibilities will include training and leading his platoon, and deploying and fighting alongside them.

As he embarks on his incredible mission of defending his country, Eldridge still carries the lessons learned at UNO CBA with him.

“I can say confidently that UNO made me a better tactical leader, and a more well-rounded Marine Officer,” Eldridge says.

UNO CBA is proud to have Marine Officer James Eldridge among our esteemed alumni and thanks him for his service to our country.