Alumnus Relishes Challenges of Ever-Changing Business Environment

Don Pietrowski, MBA '91, has devoted most of his career to marketing and research, but the President of RDA Group says he finds his field as fascinating today as he did when he entered it more than 25 years ago.

"Things are changing every single day, and you can't do things the same way. Keeping up with that makes it exciting," the Metamora Township resident says.

Bloomfield Hills-based RDA Group conducts research and analysis for a wide variety of industries, including automotive, health care, temporary employment, utility, financial services and construction equipment. Its research professionals show clients how to best gain the voice-of-customer and how to act on it to maximize the appeal of the client's products and services.

Pietrowski joined the privately held company in the mid-1980s after earning his undergraduate degree from Central Michigan University. Several years later, he started graduate courses at Oakland University. "That's one of the things I've learned: you need to go into the business world before you get your MBA," he says. "When I was working on my bachelor's degree, my classes seemed theoretical. When I was working days and going to night school, every single class pertained to the real world."

For Pietrowski, it has been a meaningful experience to help shape the company his father, Anthony Pietrowski, started in 1969. During his years with RDA Group, Pietrowski has been instrumental in developing its extensive analytical and statistical capabilities and research abilities.

Pietrowski was instrumental in growing RDA Group's global research capabilities in response to the automotive industry's globalization efforts in the mid-1990s. During the last decades, he has conducted research projects worldwide, mostly related to new vehicle tracking and buyer behavior to help clients better understand customer wants, needs and priorities in the individual markets. "Those were some of the most gratifying experiences we've ever had as we could see manufacturers putting our research to use as evidenced by their new products and services," Pietrowski says.

Today, as company president, Pietrowski continues to relish his clients' successes, successes RDA Group helped through its high quality research.

Article from SBA Insight Fall 2008