Duran Gunter

Alumni Spotlight

Duran Gunter (’22) realizes career dream after earning OU Executive MBA

In a decade of experience within a renowned aerospace company, Duran Gunter held various engineering and senior managerial positions, achieving multiple promotions. Despite his success, he aspired to reach his ultimate goal of becoming a director or an executive within the organization.

An engineer by training, Gunter had learned a lot about the business of aerospace and defense on the job. He even had a master’s degree in management and leadership, but he still lacked a thorough understanding of the industry and had one strike against him — he wasn’t in the military. 

“I was working in the spaces where the majority of my colleagues and customers were military,” said Gunter, who advanced to the level of senior program manager at an aircraft manufacturer. “So, how do I interact knowing how to navigate through those spaces?”  

Gunter decided to enroll in the University of Oklahoma’s Executive MBA in Aerospace and Defense, a degree offered by the Michael F. Price College of Business. The 12-month program is designed to develop managerial and leadership skills in the workforce, specifically those without a business education.

“The OU EMBA in Aerospace and Defense experience was nothing short of life-changing,” said Gunter. “I got everything I came for and more from this experience. I not only became a better professional but also a better human being during this process. Less than six months after the OU EMBA program, I’ve been highly sought after by several different companies in the aerospace and defense industry for executive leadership roles.”

After completing the program in December 2022, Gunter accepted a position in spring 2023 as director of quality and process engineering at an aircraft engine manufacturer. In his new role, he has 11 direct reports and oversight over three divisions companywide. The new role also provided him with an increase in his compensation and benefits plan.

Gunter recently shared how the EMBA in Aerospace and Defense program changed his life and how it prepared him to take the next step in his career.

How has the program prepared you for your new position as a director at this aircraft engine manufacturer?  

I was promoted into senior management as an engineer, but I needed additional education to get to that next level to be a director or executive. The EMBA in Aerospace and Defense gave me the philosophy, step by step, I needed to navigate in those spaces, those meetings, those presentations, those bidding processes. Now, I have the business side of aerospace and defense, whereas before, it was just on-the-job training. I have the education component to complement my other experience and knowledge in the space.

You described this program as life-changing. How so? 

The Executive MBA in Aerospace and Defense went into the details I needed to excel in my current role and my previous role as a senior program manager at an aircraft manufacturer. The program gave me the foundational knowledge I needed to continue to excel in the aerospace and defense industry when it comes to contract negotiations, understanding the business acumen of development programs, and how to set up a strategy to have a business case when you’re looking at new product development.

Why did you seek out an EMBA? 

I now have the basic knowledge of negotiation and contracts to be able to come in and flourish and lead with direction. Because of the knowledge the program gave me, I don’t have to rely on individuals to help me to excel in this role.

Why the University of Oklahoma?

My key focus was to find a program that fit into my schedule. When I saw the yearlong program, what it had to offer, and learned about the different individuals who would be in my cohort — I think that was one of the biggest draws of the program.

How did your cohort play a role in your development professionally and personally? 

Having different individuals from the military and various companies, given their broad perspectives of how they see things — I think that helped me mold a lot of my ideas and some of my thought patterns going forward. I think the program itself and the individuals selected to be in the program are top-tier and premier. You get to work with a diverse set of talent from the industry, but also the military background of individuals who are in the program makes it even more like a family that helps you excel. It was being able to have that network that the program created; I don’t think I would’ve gotten that anywhere else.

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About OU's Price College of Business

The University of Oklahoma Michael F. Price College of Business has experienced significant growth over the past five years, becoming OU’s second-largest college with over 5,800 students. The college offers highly ranked undergraduate, master’s, executive and doctoral programs across six academic divisions. More information is available at price.ou.edu