Online MBA program offers alumnus skill sets for mentoring others
Tim Saffold
A hunger for knowledge has driven Tim Saffold (MBA 2023) from his humble beginnings in rural Alabama to a stellar career in the U.S. Air Force, where he rose to the rank of colonel. Since retiring from active duty, he has found success in the business world, rising to the position of executive vice president for autonomous and unmanned systems at Amentum, a global engineering company. He’s seized every opportunity for education along the way. In 2023, he completed the Online MBA program at the Daniels College of Business.
“I strive to never stop learning,” Saffold said. “Keep engaging and seek collaborative environments: Life is a lot richer and more enjoyable down that path.”
This mindset has served him well. His studies at the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School and the U.S. Air Force Academy led to pilot training. After becoming a fighter pilot, he attended several professional leadership schools. He earned two other master’s degrees, one in business administration and management from Troy State University and another in military strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College. But Saffold is not one to rest on his laurels.
“Leadership is really important to me, but to be a good leader you’ve got to be willing to learn,” he said. “It dawned on me a few years back as I was dealing with younger employees that I was a bit out of touch—not only in terms of their skills, but in their approach and outlook to problem solving and lines of authority. I needed to tighten up my skill set.”
The OMBA was his solution. Making time in his busy schedule to pursue it was well worth it, he said. Saffold, 65, not only gained a deeper understanding of working with younger people, but he also garnered new skills in financial management, accounting, leadership, interpersonal relations, emotional intelligence and critical thinking.
“One of the great rewards was interacting with the other students, who were professionals at all different levels. I learned to appreciate their hunger, skill sets, business interactions and the sorts of challenges they faced. The marketing classes were fabulous opportunities to collaborate with other students and professors like Cristin Tarr,” Saffold said.
Tarr, a teaching assistant professor, was impressed with Saffold’s curiosity and ability to quickly apply insights from her marketing and innovation classes to his work.
“Tim asked questions and looked at the different ways he might approach things to get the most benefit,” she said.
Tarr noticed Saffold’s dedication to his studies extended to his interactions with other students.
“He was excited to be working with everyone, including people without his level of experience. In the mentorship he’s done with other students, he’s shown them such kindness, support and understanding. He’s a genuinely nice guy. I would love to have a whole class full of students like him,” Tarr said.
Saffold benefitted from mentorship from his earliest days in the enlisted corps.
“I was surrounded by many mentors who took an interest in me and said, ‘You should consider, perhaps, this path or that path, and let me help you figure out how to do that,'” he said.
As Saffold refined his critical thinking skills, he made his mark in each area he pursued, whether as an airman, fighter pilot, commander, Pacific theater senior strategist or space operations leader. His pamphlet, “The Role of Airpower in Urban Warfare, An Airman’s Perspective,” published in 1998 by the Air Command and Staff College, remains relevant.
“I wrote it from the perspective of how horrific urban combat is—the complexity, the challenges, the long-term consequences faced by aviators interacting with ground forces—and proposed various things to mitigate destruction and limit civilian casualties,” Saffold said.
Aviation is still an essential component of Saffold’s career. In Amentum’s engineering, science and technology business group, he works with autonomous and unmanned systems. They are similar to drones, with more sophisticated technology useful for commercial and military applications. In the OMBA program, Saffold garnered new soft skills to augment his technical skills. A bonus: His educational experience at Daniels also deepened his desire to help others.
“I want to always be a servant leader and give back as much as I possibly can,” he said. “With all the benefits I have received over my life from everyone I’ve had the opportunity to engage with and work with, what’s next for me is discovering where I might continue to lead, mentor, teach and create positive outcomes for others.”
