Many people have asked about the composition of the University at Albany Weekend MBA Program students, alumni, and faculty. These people are curious about what they do, their background, and their areas of research. To begin to answer those questions, we have been spotlighting a Weekender to allow them to share their story. Enjoy the profiles and please contact Program Director Don Purdy at dpurdy@albany.edu, at 518.956.8381, or at @UAlbanyMBA if you have any questions, need additional information, or would like to sit in on a class!

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P › 518.956.8330
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UAlbany Weekend MBA Stories – Dennis Walsh, MBA
Vice President, Rose & Kiernan, Inc.
Growing up, Dennis Walsh dreamed of being a New York Yankee. When it became obvious
that wasn’t a realistic option, he set his sights on becoming an Exploration Geologist,
discovering and extracting national resources such as oil and gas. “Exploration geologists are
typically employed by oil and energy companies, working in oceans, rivers, deserts,
mountains and other remote locations,” offers Dennis. “Unfortunately, I had the misfortune
of graduating in the early 1980s, right after the oil glut hit. When I started, they simply
couldn’t get enough geologists out. By graduation, the hiring binge had ended.”
Dennis did his undergrad studies at the State University of New York College at Cortland, where he met his wife,
Mary Lou. “She lived upstairs from me,” he reminisces. “I was a senior and she was a transfer. We first spoke to each
other in October 1982. I picked out her ring in February 1983 and by May, we were engaged.”
After earning his Bachelor of Science in Geology from SUNY Cortland in 1983, Dennis opted to continue his education
by pursuing his masters in Geology at Binghamton University. “I was engaged to be married and still holding out
hopes for a geologist job to emerge,” expresses Dennis. “In the meantime, I knew I needed to find productive
employment so, I received my teaching certification at Binghamton.”
In 1984, he began teaching earth science and biology in the inner city of Rochester. “I believe people are called to
things,” Dennis explains. “It became quickly apparent my calling was not teaching because I was not enjoying it. I
really wanted to get into business but had no training.”
Leaving his teaching position after a year, Dennis listened to the wisdom of a family friend, who advised sales was the
ideal staring place for someone wanting to develop business skills. “That’s when I entered the world of insurance,” he
tells. “I didn’t dream of being an insurance professional. It’s just one of those things that happened and ended up
working out well long term.”
In the Fall of 1994, Dennis Walsh went to work as a Business Sales Professional at Liberty Mutual Insurance, the
second-largest property and casualty insurer in the United States. In May 1997, he accepted the position of Senior
Vice President with Marsh LLC, a global leader in insurance brokering and risk management.
After four years with Marsh, Dennis found himself feeling inadequate, lacking proper business training. “I was selling
commercial insurance, had professional designations such as CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter) and
was educating myself in my field,” he expounds. “But I felt I needed more in the way of formal education.”
To gain perspective of what would be involved with earning his MBA, Dennis talked with a dozen MBA grads. “At the
end, Mary Lou and I considered what it would look like for our family,” he says. “We recognized it would be a huge

2. › COHORT STRUCTURE › 48 CREDITS IN 22 MONTHS › INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS RESIDENCY › VALUE LEADER › ALL-INCLUSIVE › INCREDIBLE STUDENT DIVERSITY
time commitment and neither of us wanted it to impact my relationship with our children. We were successful.
Because we were prepared and worked together, it didn’t take away from me being a dad.”
Working in non-technical sales, Dennis found the University at Albany Weekend MBA Program to be the perfect fit
and looked forward to the cohort structure. When he began the program in 2001, his daughter Kristi was 11 and son
Brian was eight.
“When the kids would go to bed, I’d open my books and study,” he shares. “My wife says what she missed most was
us doing the dishes together after supper because that was our time to catch up on each other’s day. I’m happy
we’re able to do dishes together again. In fact, we’re getting a new dishwasher today to help us with that.”
Like many who juggle families, full time jobs and furthering their education, Dennis admits it was difficult continuing
the balance of everything but it was also very worthwhile. “Having an MBA wasn’t going to directly help me acquire a
client or save a client relationship,” he describes. “Rather, I knew it would help me on a larger scale. I work with a lot
of Chief Financial Officers, Presidents and CEOs, Human Resource Directors, and Executive Directors. What I gained
from the UAlbany Weekend MBA Program is the confidence and ability to understand what their issues are in a
relatable fashion.”
Now able to read a balance sheet, discern marketing strategies, and understand IT issues and decision support
systems, Dennis credits the Weekend MBA Program for arming him with comprehensive knowledge of all levels of
business. “Part of my success in the program is we had a really great cohort,” he remarks. “A lot of my classmates
were also looking to grow in the business world. It was a really neat bonding experience and some of us still stay in
touch to this day.”
Dennis Walsh achieved his MBA in 2003 and in October 2004 began working with his current employer, Rose &
Kiernan, Inc. in East Greenbush. For more than 125 years, Rose & Kiernan has been a leading general insurance
agency primarily in New York and Connecticut, priding themselves in their commitment to community involvement.
In 2005, Dennis and Mary Lou received devastating news that would turn their lives upside down. “The doctors told
us Mary Lou had stage three cancer, malignant melanoma,” reveals Dennis. “We honestly didn’t think she’d live to
see our kids graduate from high school.”
Now 11½ years later, Mary Lou has undergone more than 12 surgeries, four failed cancer treatments, and
immeasurable worry and wonder. “Even though she is now stage four because the cancer advanced after a couple of
years,” informs Dennis. “She is now 53 months cancer free. This is the longest stretch she’s had in 11½ years and we
are beyond blessed.”
Now in their 33rd year of marriage, family remains the most important thing to Dennis and Mary Lou. It’s the value
they purposefully instilled in their children. “We met when she was 20 and I was 21,” he recalls with a twinkle in his
eye. “It’s kind of strange for us that we raised two amazing kids and now are empty nesters.”
Their daughter Kristi, 27 years old, graduated from Grove City College and two weeks later, married her husband
Josh. The happy couple celebrates five years of marriage in June 2017. Their son Brian, 24 years old, graduated from
West Point in May 2015 and two weeks later, married his wife Christin. He is currently serving our country in
Germany.

3. › COHORT STRUCTURE › 48 CREDITS IN 22 MONTHS › INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS RESIDENCY › VALUE LEADER › ALL-INCLUSIVE › INCREDIBLE STUDENT DIVERSITY
Since the birds flew the nest, Dennis and Mary Lou decided to find something athletic and fun they could do
together. In 2011, they took up casual hiking. “Being outside and enjoying God’s creation was tremendous,” he
explains. When a friend suggested they hike the Adirondack High Peaks, they retorted, “That’s for real hikers!”
Fast forward, Dennis is now an Adirondack 46er, having hiked all 46 Adirondack High Peaks in upstate New York.
Mary Lou is not far behind him, with only six more High Peaks to go.
On July 4th, 2014, Dennis and Mary Lou were undertaking the 14-mile hike of High Peaks Colvin and Blake. To get to
Blake, you have to go over Colvin and neither route is known to be very rewarding. On the way back from Blake's
summit, Mary Lou began to feel groggy and ill, experiencing extreme flu-like symptoms due to an infection, a long-
term complication from her many surgeries. Barely able to trek back to the car, she spent the entire next day in the
emergency room and learned she’d have to give up hiking indefinitely.
“Now aspiring 46ers, we had hiked 35 of the High Peaks together at that point,” Dennis fills in the blanks. “After she
got so sick on that hike, she encouraged me to keep climbing, not knowing if she’d be able to join me again. ‘I’ll catch
up later if I can,’ she assured me.”
The couple found a great doctor and in Spring 2015, Mary Lou was able to start hiking again. True to their committed
togetherness, she hiked the High Peak Skylight with Dennis in August 2015, celebrating with him at the summit as he
completed his 46th
High Peak. She also summited Allen Mountain last August and will be featured in an upcoming
PEEKS Magazine article.
“None of this has happened in a vacuum,” shares Dennis. “We persevered as a couple and a family, surrounded by
the incredible love and support of our church family at Faith Baptist, my management and co-workers at Rose &
Kiernan, fellow parents at Loudonville Christian School and friends in the local wrestling and baseball community.
They rallied around us in big ways. When Mary Lou was first diagnosed, we didn’t even cook a meal for at least four
to five months because meals were provided to us. We are so grateful.”
The good news continues to roll in for the Walshes as they recently learned that they will become grandparents in
October!
With no extended family in the local area, being part of community is very important to Dennis Walsh. “It’s why the
cohort structure of the Weekend MBA Program resonated so well with me. Whenever I talk with graduates, I
constantly hear, ‘I’m so glad I did it’ and I echo that. To be honest, I don’t know how I managed it,” he laughs. “It
sounds really impossible now. It was a challenge. There’s no doubt about it. But I truly enjoyed the process, my
amazing cohort, and the incredible group of professors.”
To professionals considering UAlbany’s Weekend MBA Program, Dennis advises, “Just understand what it will look
like for you. Do your research. It will be a lot of work and at times, will be difficult. Don’t sweat the outcome and
learn as much as you can. You, too, will be so glad you did.”
Connect with Dennis Walsh here:

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LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis-walsh-61429767
Click here to learn more about UAlbany’s executive Weekend MBA Program.