Project Connect Internship spotlights Tempur-Sealy International, Inc.

The University of Kentucky MBA selected Tempur-Sealy International, Inc., headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, to be spotlighted for their sponsorship in Project Connect. Project Connect is the built-in internship experience that's exclusively offered in the One Year MBA program at the Gatton College of Business and Economics whereby student teams are paired with companies to work on projects of importance. 

In a recent video, the program captured the unique perspective of the Project Connect sponsors at Tempur-Sealy and the value that the UK MBA students bring to their companies. The 2017/2018 company sponsors at Tempur-Sealy included Jill Downey-Johnson (Director of Marketing, Stearns & Foster and UK MBA alumna), Dan Fine (Vice President Marketing, Direct Channels, CRM, Consumer Care, Flagship Stores) and Brent Pfister (Vice President of Marketing, Tempur-Pedic Brand). 

"Project Connect is a unique opportunity for the company and for the students," says Jill Downey-Johnson. "For many of these students, this is their first time experiencing a corporate environment. Furthermore, they were able to understand the importance of working cross-functionally with our marketing, sales and creative agencies along with collaborating with many of our senior leaders at Tempur Sealy." 

In Project Connect, the internship projects focus on core business processes such as: data analysis, marketing, research, growth strategy, supply chain management, logistics and operations. UK MBA students are able to apply what they are learning in the classroom to develop solutions to real-world projects while honing some of their soft skills in teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, communication, and critical/creative thinking. In addition, Project Connect also helps students strengthen their resumes and provides access to potential employment opportunities. 

The 2017/2018 Tempur-Sealy Project Connect student team included UK MBA students Justin Morris, Emily Bunch, Jack Oliver, Laura Combs and Will Downer

Click Here to Watch the Tempur-Sealy Project Connect Spotlight Video