Patrick Hynes

When Patrick Hynes finished law school, he vowed that he was finally finished with being in a classroom. Twenty years later, after more than 15 years at Prudential, he was prepared to break that vow. Pat took on his current role as a Vice-President overseeing compliance, operations and business quality across the U.S. in 2009. This role provides more exposure to senior leaders at Prudential and Pat felt he needed to transform his ways of thinking about business. As he says, “I learned a lot from law school and my early days of practicing law but it was mostly focused on analytical training. I know as I look to advance further in my company that I need more business training and that is why I chose NYU Stern.” Pat wrestled with the idea of being back in the classroom every other Friday and Saturday as well as finding the time before and after work to do school work. But ultimately, the support from his family and his employer gave him the confidence to apply.

The Executive MBA program’s global study tours were a big part of the reason that Pat chose Stern since Prudential is a global company. His first tour to Istanbul and Tel Aviv last fall did not disappoint. He is also seeing things differently at work thanks to Strategy and Leadership in Organizations, two core courses. These classes have helped him ask the right questions and listen more actively in the work place. He also benefits from another great attribute of the program: his classmates. Patrick says, “I have met many individuals from varying backgrounds and careers. There is a rich diversity at NYU and my classmates provide me with various perspectives that I find rewarding.”