30 at 30: Daniel Watts

Executive MBA – Strategic Leadership Class of 2019

CEO, US Signal

At 17, Dan Watts decided to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, a former World War II paratrooper and armed forces veteran, and join the U.S. Military. 

That decision would set him on a path to not only serve his country, but enable his education and future career as a business executive. 

Watts, CEO of US Signal, shared the story of his military and educational journey and how it equipped him to be the leader he is today. 

Learning on the Job 

After graduation and rigorous training, Watts was sent to South Korea. There, he worked as an air traffic controller, which is often cited as one of the world’s most stressful jobs. 

“You can’t have an off day,” the US Signal CEO said. “But I loved the mental stimulation of that job. It was very exciting work.” 

After completing his five-year enlistment, Watts left the Army in search of his next mission. While struggling to make ends meet, he met a telecommunications specialist who offered him an introduction to interview for a job with a telecommunications provider. Although Watts had little industry knowledge, he was hired for his willingness to learn on the job.  

He had no idea that this role would be the beginning of an extensive career in the telecommunications industry, which would include well-known organizations such as Segra, TSAChoice and Windstream. 

A Career Crossroads 

While working full-time as a network operations center technician and parenting a toddler, Watts went back to school and earned his bachelor’s degree. Afterwards, he quickly advanced in his career, eventually becoming the VP of product and business development at one of the largest fiber operators in the U.S. Evaluating his own career with a classic management SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats) analysis, Watts concluded that he needed to increase his financial acumen and decided it was time to research executive MBA programs.

“I looked around the country at various institutes known for their programs, eventually finding UT’s EMBA – Strategic Leadership,” Watts said. “The course design and relevance spoke to me. I was also looking to nurture a bond with the school, so I appreciated the in-person residency periods during the program.”  

Understanding Financial Vernacular

For Watts, one of the most valuable parts of the program was its immediate application to his work. Every financial project that he undertook in school was focused on companies in his industry and each homework assignment taught him a new way to size up the competition. 

The program’s emphasis on applied learning also boosted Watts’ confidence in participating in high-level financial discussions and analyses. 

“By the end of it, I was able to reach my goal, which was to have financial conversations at the same level as our company’s chief financial officer,” he explained. 

Nonetheless, time management during the program was a challenge. Between an executive role at a large company, family life and the EMBA-SL program, Watts’ priorities sometimes overlapped. “Our 2019 cohort was in South America conducting a market entry study,” Watts recalled. “And I had to keep jumping on work calls.” The cohort and faculty, however, made it possible for him to balance his responsibilities. He credits the program faculty for empowering him to maintain a strong professional life, even when class was in session. 

Speaking about his relationship with program leadership, Watts says Professor of Practice Mike Grojean’s lessons on strategic intent helped enhance his leadership style. He found the EMBA-SL program especially useful in managing high-stakes situations when a project or organization’s success relies on strong executive leadership. 

For his Organizational Action Project, Watts built a framework promoting cross-functional leadership at his company, and he has applied it to every organization he has worked for since. 

“This framework allows every stakeholder to be responsible for one component of the customer journey, for example, installation, repair or customer service,” Watts explained. “The idea is to flatten the division of hierarchy to break barriers and allow visibility and collaboration across the organization.” 

At US Signal, Watts is part of a cross-functional group that meets every two weeks to share ideas, provide visibility, and discuss important decisions impacting the business and its customers.  

EMBA Words of Wisdom 

Watts is still in touch with his peer group from the EMBA-SL program. They chat frequently on messaging apps and continue to seek each other’s counsel on business challenges.  

If he could share one piece of insight with prospective EMBA-SL students, it would be one word: “relevancy.” The program empowered him to operate more effectively at work, even before graduation, and what he has learned has helped him progress in his career. 

 
And Watts was proud to share that his UT story doesn’t end there. In fall 2023, his daughter took her place on Rocky Top as a first-year student in the University’s undergraduate physics program. He has enjoyed visiting her at his alma mater and catching a few home football games at Neyland Stadium.