Over the course of his twenty-seven years in industry, Greg Horvath ’82 has witnessed significant changes to business standards and operations, including the advent of the Internet and corporate intranets. The biggest change, he says, was not the digital revolution—it was globalization.
Over the course of his twenty-seven years in industry, Greg Horvath ’82 has witnessed significant changes to business standards and operations, including the advent of the Internet and corporate intranets. The biggest change, he says, was not the digital revolution—it was globalization.
“The marketplace and the competitive landscape for companies have changed dramatically since I joined the field,” said Horvath. “The terms ‘outsourcing’ and ‘in-sourcing’ are archaic. As business leaders, we need to get the work done wherever it is the best value. It’s been remarkable to watch the market change over the course of my career. When I started, the success of a business was defined regionally. In 2012, it’s all one big playing field.”
Unlike many professionals who entered the IT industry in the late 1980s, Horvath chose to stay with one company, Dow Chemical, as the Internet revolutionized business practices. “Management and information systems [MIS] was an explosive industry at that time,” he said. “Sticking with one company through all that change was practically unheard of.”
Horvath had no trouble finding new avenues within the company. In fact, he says, “I feel as though I’ve had four different careers. Dow has been excellent about providing new challenges and offering a new landscape of skills to keep me competitive in the professional marketplace."
After graduating from Michigan Tech with a bachelor’s in MIS and an associate in electrical engineering technology, Horvath joined Dow Chemical as an applications programmer in the information systems division. He worked in traditional MIS positions for twelve years, progressing through systems design and development, project leadership, management, and management oversight. After getting into management, Horvath spent several years developing the evaluation practices for IT investments, creating a set of standards to characterize the value-added for each new project. During the first phases of his career, Horvath found himself relying heavily on the preparation he received at Michigan Tech, both in technology and in economics and business dynamics.
“The faculty taught a curriculum that was current and hands-on, with a good balance of theory and practical application,” he said. “In addition, Michigan Tech has a closeness and connectedness between faculty and students that is valuable and unique.”
With the advent of corporate intranets in the late 1990s, Horvath moved into the knowledge and information management sector of Dow. He led Dow’s knowledge management efforts, developing practices to help the company learn how to deploy and manage intranet technology while protecting information and intellectual property. From there, he transitioned into auditing, serving as the IT audit director for six years and leading the audit team in managing internal control requirements and risk mitigation.
In early 2012, Horvath accepted a new position as the program director inside of the Dow Sadara Project Office, working with Sadara Chemical, a new, international joint venture between Dow and Saudi Aramco.
“In 2012, it’s all one big playing field.”
The secret to Horvath’s professional satisfaction and dynamic, ever-changing career with Dow can be boiled down to two words: knowledge and change. “Learning and knowledge development doesn’t stop after graduation,” he said. “It’s an ongoing process, and people who do not keep up are left behind. It is crucial to take the time to keep up on the latest technology. When my kids got my first text and found me on MySpace, they were blown away. But if you are not learning and developing professionally, and you are not responding to and embracing change, it’s time to reevaluate your situation.”
In addition to being mindful of their professional development, Horvath advises students and new graduates to be prepared for the global business marketplace. “The world has gotten a lot flatter, and successful business collaboration involves peers from all over the world. Students must develop an understanding of cultural differences and learn how to flourish in a diverse environment.”
When he is not at Dow, Horvath is a competitive sailor on the Great Lakes and the past commodore of the Bay City Yacht Club. He continues to enjoy Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, spending time at his vacation home on Lake Michigan.
Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
