By Lisa Wells
Roberto Martinez (MBA ’23) has navigated a series of pivots, restarts, and a moment of reckoning on his way to earning an MBA from Gies College of Business. His unconventional journey began when he took a detour from his studies at Marquette University to spend nearly a decade in the high-pressure world of restaurant management.
“I realized I didn’t want to manage kitchens and work until 2 a.m. for the rest of my life,” said Martinez, who returned to school to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Milwaukee’s Cardinal Stritch University in 2013.
Martinez entered the grocery industry as a sales rep for Lipari Foods. While the job offered stability, the company’s flattened organizational structure provided few opportunities for advancement without relocating his family. By New Year’s Eve 2020 he found himself at a crossroads and proposed the idea of grad school to his wife. Then the pandemic hit, which accelerated the process.
As a father of two, Martinez needed a program that didn't require him to be in a classroom every other weekend or take on crippling debt. He looked at several options and ultimately chose the Gies Business’ fully online MBA program – known as the iMBA® – because it balanced prestige with accessibility. It also offered a "full circle" moment; Martinez was born in Champaign, IL, while his father finished a PhD at the University of Illinois.
Finding value in his service industry background
The transition wasn't seamless. Re-entering the world of high-level mathematics and statistics while working 55 hours a week was quite a challenge. After his first semester, Roberto was placed on academic probation, barely missing the minimum GPA.
"I told myself that wasn't the way this chapter of my book was going to end," said Martinez.
He hunkered down, started attending office hours, and realized that his unique background in some of the un-glamorous sectors of restaurants and grocery stores was actually a strength.
“My professors reassured me that they and my fellow students valued my perspective and reinforced that everyone in the program comes from a different walk of life with the same end goal,” said Martinez.
The ROI of a Gies MBA kicked in long before graduation. While still in the program, Martinez earned a promotion at Lipari Foods from a sales rep to a role as a key account manager taking over management of three of the largest grocery chains in Wisconsin and Illinois. He says the curriculum taught him to "think outside the box" and move beyond the daily grind of sales quotas to data-driven strategy. For example, his capstone project required him to analyze complex business problems from a holistic perspective. He learned to use data to justify long-term investments – a skill that allowed him to provide deeper value to his major accounts.
By May 2025, Martinez’s reputation preceded him. A large grocery store wholesaler approached him to apply for a senior manager of merchandising position with Piggly Wiggly Midwest, a division of C&S Wholesale Grocers. When Martinez asked where they got his name, the answer was the ultimate validation of his hard work and expanded skill set.
"They told me most of their franchisees said I was the man who could get the job done," said Martinez.
A 40% ROI on earnings
Today, Martinez oversees 87 Piggly Wiggly stores, making decisions for the bakery and deli divisions with a level of autonomy he never thought possible. Beyond his new title, the degree has resulted in a life-changing 40% bump in pay.
For those hesitant to hit the "apply" button, Martinez encourages candidates considering the Gies iMBA to embrace the journey.
"As with anything in life, it'll be challenging,” said Martinez. “But at the end of the day, the reward is worth the challenge, and you get out of it what you put into it."