Meet our Executive Director of Recruiting: Andy Lord
Considering a master’s degree from the University of Florida? Meet the fearless leader who will guide you along your journey, from choosing which program is right for you to the application process and beyond, UF Hough Graduate School of Business Executive Director of Recruiting Andy Lord.
Andy Lord is Executive Director of Recruiting for the UF Hough Graduate School of Business at the Warrington College of Business. He has been with the University of Florida since 2001, most recently serving as Senior Director of Admissions at UF MBA and holding an MBA admissions related role for more than 15 years. He works to recruit and admit students interested in graduate business degrees, including the UF MBA, Master of Science in Management, Master of International Business, Master of Science in Information Systems and Operations Management, Thomas S. Johnson Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Nathan S. Collier Master of Science in Real Estate programs. The Palm Harbor, Florida native earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing from Winthrop University and his M.Ed. from the University of Florida.
Q: When did you know that you wanted to be involved in higher education, and why was that an interesting option for you?
Andy: “I moved to Gainesville to play music, but that stopped paying the bills after a couple of years. Given that I really liked this town, I looked for interesting positions at the University of Florida and found a financial aid counselor position that seemed rather interesting and required an undergraduate degree such as in business. Good thing I had that marketing degree. I always enjoyed helping people and immediately found connectivity amongst students and their families who were facing economic hardships or looking for ways to fund their education. Being able to assist with grant funding and scholarships while educating students about aid disbursements and the financial aid process was very rewarding. I guess I simply enjoy helping people, which is why I decided to make this my career almost 20 years ago.”
Q: What are you most proud of that you’ve been involved with during your time at Warrington?
Andy: “The growth of our MBA program in the total number of students and our upward movement in the rankings is, of course, awesome. But I am always most proud of the outcomes for the students. As a recruiter, you sell education. You want that investment to pan out for someone. It’s a great deal of time, effort, sacrifice and money for many of our students. When the big job hits, or the new idea happens, you feel like you connected that person to an incredible opportunity and a very smart investment. I have received many thank you notes over the years for connecting them to UF and offering admission to the programs. Their life changes, that’s what they were hoping for, so I’m proud to have a small part in that.”
Q: What goal do you have for students going through the Hough Graduate School of Business? What do you most hope they get out of their time here?
Andy: “To find their confidence and voice as a leader. I hope students take advantage of the resources within the college outside of the classroom, mainly career services and professional development opportunities. But I also want them to have a great time in grad school, work hard, but enjoy this special time in their lives. Invest in the network and in the life-long friends and contacts they will make. Do grad school effectively.”
Q: If you didn’t decide to pursue a career in higher education, what would you do instead?
Andy: “I’d be a working musician.”
Q: What can we find you doing outside of work or on the weekend?
Andy: “You will see my alter ego on stage performing at a music festival.”
Q: What’s a fact about you that might surprise other people?
Andy: “I had dreadlocks in the 90s and wore a brown corduroy three-piece suit on MTV.”
Q: Is there anything else you’d like the Warrington community to know about you that we didn’t ask about?
Andy: “Yes, but you will have to ask me when I meet you to discuss enrolling in one of our graduate programs.”
