NOTEBOOK: Top MBA graduate lands in Des Moines

/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/BR_web_311x311.jpeg

A standout University of Iowa graduate who’s beginning an insurance career in Des Moines recently was named among the top 100 full-time MBA graduates in the country.

Kyle Wehr was recognized by Poets & Quants, a magazine that covers business schools. Wehr, who’s from Moline, Ill., completed his MBA with a 4.01 grade point average — completing 89 credits when only 60 are required — while also taking on a hefty load of leadership and volunteer activities at the Tippie School of Management and the community.


Among his leadership roles, Wehr served as an internship coach to first-year MBA students, and he was part of the first TeamUp Tippie Mentoring Program that pairs undergraduates with MBAs. He has served on the Young Professionals of Iowa board of directors since January 2014, most recently elected to the executive committee as treasurer. He also volunteered for Junior Achievement in Iowa City.


“I think it’s important to develop people and empower them to make the calls themselves,” Wehr said, “but also to push back and make sure they’re making decisions. The way I’m going to have the most fulfilling career is by serving other people; by doing that, we will all share in the success in our careers.”


Wehr recently began working at Nationwide as an associate products manager in the power sports division, where he works in boat insurance. Finding a career where he could have an impact with customers and create value was important to him, he said. “It’s been fun to get down into the nitty-gritty and learn some of the aspects of the business. We call it the toys. I think it’s fun moving into this kind of product — it’s a great learning ground for me.”