Alumnus Realized Leadership Potential at St. John’s

When Eric J. Guerin ’03MBA wanted to further his education and ensure success in his chosen field, St. John’s University was the natural choice. The Staten Island, NY, native began his accounting career at Johnson & Johnson, and was accepted into their management training program. 

He made sure to get as many certifications (C.P.A., C.M.A., C.F.M.) as the profession required, but knew he needed his master of business administration (M.B.A.) degree to get ahead. “It was around 1999 when I was looking for a school,” he explained. “My wife Jeannie ’88SVC, ’90CBA attended both the Staten Island and Queens campus of St. John’s. She’s also from Staten Island, and always spoke highly of St. John’s and the friends she made there.” 

His parents still resided there as well, so Mr. Guerin thought it was a good fit. At the time, he lived in central New Jersey; the commute was ideal, so he began pursuing his M.B.A. in Executive Management in The Peter J. Tobin College of Business.

However, halfway through the program, Mr. Guerin accepted a position in Delaware. “I wanted to stay at St. John’s,” he recalled. “I was lucky. J&J said, ‘We want you to continue your M.B.A.’”

Two days a week, Mr. Guerin made the three-hour commute to Grymes Hill. “It was a great experience. It was important for my career to get different skills in human resources and executive management. “That was the concentration—in really understanding how you become a senior leader, and not just an accountant.”

Mr. Guerin immediately knew there was something special about St. John’s. “What was really powerful—and I think this is true for anybody that’s doing their M.B.A.—is the quality of the classmates and the experiences they shared.” 

He recalled working on joint projects with fellow students, all of whom worked at rival companies. Yet, they bonded. “It was a wonderful experience.”

Of all the classes he took, those dealing with interpersonal dynamics stood out the most, Mr. Guerin recalled. “It was important because I was at a point in my career when I had been promoted to a manager.” 

He added, “To interact with people and meet them where they are, not necessarily where you are, and how they want to work, was instrumental for me. The technical classes were helpful, but I think what is most important, at least in my field, is how you interact with people. Most accountants are viewed in a very introverted way, even if we are not. Now I’ve become more extroverted, but the classes enhanced that whole process.”

After earning his degree, Mr. Guerin eventually left Johnson & Johnson, forging an incredibly successful career at the highest executive levels in various industries, proving his versatility and malleability in an ever-changing economic and financial landscape. He currently serves as Chief Financial Officer at RG Global Inc., a publicly traded company global marketplace for insights, services, and transaction solutions for commercial assets and vehicles.

 Mr. Guerin has always embraced the idea that as a leader, while he expects his team to produce at the highest levels, he cares deeply about them and their lives. Everywhere he goes, he has cultivated a one-team atmosphere with his subordinates—a culture he firmly believes leads to greater productivity and success.

Mr. Guerin recalled he experienced a real thirst for learning at St. John’s. “That is critical, that intellectual curiosity. During my St. John’s experience, there were people who were willing to help in your journey, and I found all the professors that I worked with very much engaged in my success.”

Because he attended classes in the evening, Mr. Guerin believed his professors, many of whom were also working professionals, possessed a sincere empathy for their students. “They really wanted you to be successful in this journey. They knew that most of us worked full time, and that experience was helpful. Knowing that there were other people who were trying to accomplish the same thing that you were. You didn’t feel like you were on an island.”