Getting exposure to high-level leaders through the Heath Integrated Business and Engineering Program (IBEP) remains a valuable resource for Ben Koester (BS/CBE, ‘21). A member of the 2021 cohort, Koester is now the operations manager at The Timken Company in Greensboro, North Carolina.
“I find the executive conversations to be something that I still draw on today,” Koester said. “There are pieces of advice or guidance that I remember and that still provide me guidance five years out.”
Koester studied chemical engineering at the University of Tennessee with a concentration on biomolecular engineering and a minor in leadership studies. As part of Heath IBEP, he also took business classes and worked on design projects and process flow diagrams.
“Having a framework that identifies the connection and synergy between our two disciplines (business and engineering) is a mindset that immediately set me apart from my peers,” Koester said.
While he was a student at UT, Koester served a four-month internship with The Timken Company, which is a global leader in engineered bearings and industrial motion products. He joined the company’s operations development program upon graduating in 2021 and climbed the ladder to become a senior quality engineer and quality advancement manager before assuming his current role in 2025.
“The exposure to what different industries look like through Heath IBEP provided great help in envisioning what a day-to-day life in that career would be,” said Koester, who received his Master of Business Administration in operations and supply chain from Southern New Hampshire University. “Whether it was manufacturing, data, or sales, I had a pretty good idea of what everything would entail before I graduated from college.”
Koester didn’t take part in Heath IBEP just to include the program on his resume. He was intent on soaking up as much knowledge as possible through the experience.
“There are opportunities to get questions answered by folks you wouldn’t have access to any other way,” he said. “There are opportunities to network that you don’t get outside the program. It benefits students to actually use the resources offered because it is a privilege.”
Given how much he gained through the program, Koester would encourage any engineering student to participate in Heath IBEP
“I feel confident in recommending the program because of the impact it had on me, but also the impact I see it had on others,” Koester said. “I am connected with other alums on social media and see how successful graduates of this program are.”
Contact
Rhiannon Potkey (rpotkey@utk.edu)