Aidan McGaughy’s Post

I am excited to announce that, in about a month, I will join the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as an Associate. Several mentors helped me on this path, and I would like to especially thank Jan Taylor and Jake McCorkle for introducing me to the consulting world and for their guidance along the way. I also want to thank Michael O'Neil, Eliel Ig-Izevbekhai, Aine Keel, Tyler Testin, and BCG’s team for their support throughout the recruiting process. I cannot wait to get started soon!

On May 14, 2023, I officially graduated from Miami University. I graduated Summa Cum Laude and was one of 37 students with the Honors with Distinction recognition. I was a double major in Information Systems + Analytics and Marketing with a minor in Emerging Technologies in Business and Design. I cannot believe these four years are already over. I am extremely grateful for the opportunities Miami University and the Miami University Farmer School of Business gave me to make the most out of my four years. I cannot articulate how much I appreciate the incredible people and community that offered support, motivated me to be more ambitious, and helped me learn more about the business world and myself. I have grown tremendously with several best friends these last four years. In my last semester at Miami University, I was recognized with several incredible recognitions. • Best 2023 Business Analytics Major • Roy Sandquist Family Award: Presented by the Sandquist family to two outstanding Information Systems and Analytics majors • Marketing Student Achievement Award: Presented to the senior marketing major who has combined high levels of both service and academic achievement • Dustin David Schmidt Scholarship: Presented to a brother of Delta Sigma Pi that demonstrates strong character and embodies an ideal brother • Love & Honor Story Award: an award for peers to recognize and honor peers enacting the values articulated in Miami’s Code of Love and Honor • Senior Service Leadership Award • 2022 Organization President of the Year finalist I was flattered, honored, and touched by each announcement. I could not have accomplished any of this without each one of my incredible mentors and friends. This chapter of my life has come to a close, but I look forward to keeping in touch with all the people that made these years so special. I cannot wait to see the incredible things the class of 2023 accomplish. Love and Honor! 

I am excited to announce that the Business Student Advisory Council (BSAC) received our first check for our Miami University Farmer School of Business (FSB) apparel sales! The FSB apparel is a passion project I started after being elected as BSAC’s VP of Marketing in December 2020. During the pandemic, student organizations like ours struggled to fund events and market ourselves to potential new recruits. I combined my passion for marketing and design to address these issues with an apparel fundraiser. I designed the apparel, got approval from the university branding team, and discussed the project with over 40 suppliers to find the best one for BSAC. After two years since I started the design process, and one month after I finished my year as BSAC’s president, we launched four FSB apparel items in Dubois Bookstore! Dubois and BSAC split the profits for this Farmer School of Business apparel. In the first quarter, we already sold 81 items and raised over $400 for BSAC. I am so thankful for all the people who supported me along the way; the former President, Sara Ensor; current President, Emilia Lloyd; former Executive Vice President, Lidia Marusic; and BSAC’s Advisor, Michelle Thomas. I also am grateful to BSAC, Dubois Bookstore, and the Farmer School of Business for helping this vision come to life. If you are interested in Farmer School of Business apparel and supporting BSAC, an organization dedicated to improving the business student experience at Miami University, click on the following link to check out the items: https://lnkd.in/dY-n-GS9

This previous January, I had the opportunity to study abroad through the Miami University Honors Borders and Bridges program! Nine other students and I traveled to the Miami University Dolibios European Center in Differdange, Luxembourg, to study post-World War II Europe and the metaphorical borders and bridges built because of the war. While in Europe, we had the opportunity to visit Luxembourg, Switzerland, France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. While on our study tour of central Europe, we visited a couple of castles, toured a concentration camp, met with several political parties, explored several museums, saw Karl Marx’s house, and took some breaks from our studies to see the Luxembourg city circus, a Swiss hockey game, and climb the Jungfrau mountain. This trip was an excellent opportunity to visit Europe for the first time, experience new cultures, try new things, and research something I am incredibly passionate about; the hockey world. During my senior year at Miami University, I completed an Honors with Distinction project, supplementing this class' curriculum with my research. I created a 45-page research paper analyzing how differences in culture, infrastructure, and cultural phenomena or significant events have shaped the hockey world and the different countries. I want to thank my advisor and professor, Dr. Erik Jensen, for helping me contextualize Europe and pushing me to improve my project. I enjoyed immersing myself in some European cultures I studied all year and attending my first European hockey game in Interlaken, Switzerland. I am grateful to announce that my Honors with Distinction project was approved. I was one of only 37 students to graduate from Miami University in 2023 with the Honors with Distinction recognition. Thank you again to the Miami University Honors Program for helping me create memorable and meaningful learning experiences like these during my undergraduate career!

My senior year at Miami University was incredible. In the first semester of my senior year, I had the opportunity to work on a semester-long consulting project with E. & J. Gallo Winery in my honors capstone class. Our task was to create a new tequila brand for E. & J. Gallo to capitalize on the tremendous market growth since the pandemic began. Alongside my incredible teammates Gavin Friedman, Abby LaMacchia, Lidia Marusic, Ally McDonald, and Luke Sassano, we researched the industry, surveyed nearly 1000 people on their alcohol purchasing habits, facilitated eye-tracking tests, and created consumer perception maps before we developed our new brand targeting an untapped target market. This project required us to not only develop our new brand but also solidify our brand's values, plan a three-phase release strategy with marketing activations, create and design three main products, value-added packs, cost estimates, sell sheets, distributor incentives, retail standards of performance, merchandise, market share projections, and size of prize estimates. Our three months of hard work culminated in a final presentation to the E. & J. Gallo team led by Michael Chmielewski, where we were awarded first place. As a result, we had the opportunity to travel to New York City after the semester and present to a panel of directors, salespeople, and managers from E. & J. Gallo’s northeast region. I wanted to thank the E. & J. Gallo team, our incredible professors, Jan Taylor and Patrick Lindsay, and my outstanding team for the opportunity and great experience. This capstone class was my favorite at Miami University, and I am grateful for all the support, hard work, and meetings during these 16 weeks that made this class so special. Thank you, Miami University Farmer School of Business and E. & J. Gallo Winery, for this unbelievable opportunity!

Thank you! These recognitions are an honor! Congratulations to everyone else awarded.

Thank you for the feature! It was fun to create!

Thank you for the feature! It is an honor! I cannot wait to start at BCG!