Meet Kyle Sinno, a 2018 Global Affairs alumnus currently pursuing an MBA at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. His interest in technology, economics, and international relations began early on in his life, heavily influenced by his mother’s career in the military and his father’s career in international telecommunications. His early understanding of global systems and the interconnectedness of the world led him to major in Global Affairs at Mason, where his professors and coursework equipped him with the necessary critical thinking skills and global perspectives that are crucial in navigating the complex technical environments and diverse stakeholder needs within the tech industry.
After graduating, he began his career as a Junior IT Business Analyst at DRT Strategies, where he worked on improving security assessment processes for various government information systems. He later joined Accenture, and advanced from a Data Analyst to the Cloud Operations Lead where he directed a team of 15 engineers and coordinated product roadmaps across multiple teams. It was his growing interest in tech strategy at Accenture that led him to pursue a strategy consulting role at Deloitte, where he led procedures to streamline architecture, build products, and analyze cost-saving opportunities for cloud workloads. As of now, he works part-time as an AI researcher at UMich, investigating how autonomous AI agents will impact business processes.
When asked what motivated him to pursue an MBA after a liberal arts education, Kyle said, “My experiences in technology consulting revealed how business skills are equally important as technical expertise when driving organizational transformation and product innovation.” Thus, he saw an MBA not only as a way to formally pivot into the tech industry but also as an opportunity to bridge the global perspectives he gained at GMU with business frameworks that would ultimately enhance his ability to translate technical and global affairs concepts into business value--an essential skill for advancing into senior technology leadership roles.
Looking ahead, Kyle plans to train for his next marathon and continue exploring the world--so far he’s visited 10 countries since graduating from Mason! Professionally, he hopes to lead the end-to-end development of products for a Fortune 500 company and further his career as a product manager by gaining experience in designing, building, managing, and scaling products with a global impact. He also aims to give back to the community by teaching and mentoring others who share his enthusiasm for business, technology, and international relations.
His advice to current Global Affairs students with similar career and educational aspirations is to:
Approach your career as an ongoing learning journey with no fixed route. I would suggest exploring adjacent fields and continuously adding skills that complement your global affairs foundation. If you are interested in a financial technology career or an MBA, I would suggest seeking out opportunities that bring you closer to that goal, identifying the gaps in your experiences, and working backward from there. Sometimes life and your career go in unexpected ways, but I would suggest taking those divergent paths if they follow your passions.
As he reflects back on his undergraduate academic journey, Kyle gives a special shoutout to two Global Affairs professors, Lisa Breglia and Niklas Hultin. Lisa, for her insights into the impact of business decisions on the environment, lessons he continues to keep in mind when making decisions as a technology business leader. He also expresses gratitude to Niklas Hultin, who acted as a great mentor and advisor, teaching him how to formulate hypotheses, take positions on research questions, and conducting research experiments--skills that have stayed with him throughout his career. He encourages all Global Affairs students to take time after class to connect with their professors, as they are always eager to help and share their knowledge.
March 31, 2025