UMSL alumnus and former CEO Charles Hoffman became dean of the College of Business Administration in September. (Photo by August Jennewein)

Charles Hoffman has held many roles, from Air Force officer to University of Missouri–St. Louis student to chief executive officer. Now Just two months into his new position as dean of the College of Business Administration at UMSL, Hoffman sat down with St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Jim Gallagher to talk about the college, plans for the future and what makes UMSL stand out from others.

“I’ve had many top business school graduates working for me,” Hoffman told the Post. “The last job, which was in Silicon Valley, there were Harvard and Stanford MBAs all over the place. Smart people, but they didn’t know how to make anything happen. They typically had their parents pay for their school, so they never really had to work. There’s a reason why most Fortune 500 CEOs come from the Midwest and from state schools. They are guys who know how to make things happen. You don’t have to be the smartest guy; you just have to be the guy that can bring everybody together and execute. I call it leadership. The kids from UMSL, who are known as hardworking students, technically prepared, need that extra knowledge of ‘How do I succeed?'”

Click here to read the entire interview with Hoffman.