When Benjamin Fouch looks back on his career, he doesn\u2019t see a straight line. Instead, he sees a process of elimination. By trying different paths, learning quickly what didn\u2019t fit and moving forward with clarity, he uncovered his true passion: connecting people, processes and technology. Though he grew up in a Purdue family, he was for years the only one who hadn\u2019t joined the tradition. His trial-and-error journey has since taken him from a small town in Indiana into early career work in mergers and acquisitions at Booz Allen in Washington, and ultimately back home to Lacy Diversified Industries (LDI), where he now serves as Vice President of Strategy and Operations. At LDI, Fouch helps portfolio companies grow, whether by driving transformation projects, improving culture or building strategies for long-term success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI realized I got more satisfaction when I felt like I was changing and driving the business outcomes,\u201d he explains. \u201cThat\u2019s what drew me back toward operations and leadership roles.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fouch\u2019s career reflects the growing emphasis on private equity operations, not just financial engineering. His focus on integration carried into his education, where his path has been anything but conventional. With degrees spanning political science, finance, industrial engineering and computer science, Fouch eventually turned to Purdue\u2019s online Doctor of Engineering<\/a> program to tie all his disciplines together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI had all of these different technical views in multiple fields, but they were all in silos,\u201d he says. \u201cTraditional PhD programs require you to drill into one subject area, but that wasn\u2019t what I needed. This program is about synthesis across domains to solve industry problems.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n That need for synthesis came directly from Fouch\u2019s real-world challenges. In a moment of recollection, he recalls a time early in his career when he was asked by a supervisor to evaluate a manufacturing plant. He could read the income statement, but he didn\u2019t have the engineering frameworks to assess the production floor itself. Later, when he found himself managing a global IT department, he realized he lacked the technical grounding to evaluate competing platforms. Each of these moments drove him back to the classroom, seeking tools and frameworks he could immediately apply in his career. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was bothered when I couldn\u2019t give a strong answer,\u201d he said. \u201cEducation gave me the structure to solve problems I was already facing on the job\u2026 Purdue is the most industry-facing university I\u2019ve ever been involved with.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n He recalls one professor driving two hours to a plant he worked at, setting up a system he designed in class and seeing it go directly into production. The professor sat with Fouch, workshopping feedback and ideas to help improve the process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s pretty special and that\u2019s not normal,\u201d Fouch notes. \u201cIt makes the return on investment of the program so much higher, because it\u2019s not just about the degree. It\u2019s about the ecosystem of people and ideas you\u2019re part of.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n As he looks ahead, Fouch shared that he wants to provide for his family and stay relevant in his field. Beyond that, he hopes to make an impact as a leader, especially in small to mid-sized businesses that often lack the resources of larger corporations. He believes the Doctor of Engineering program<\/a> is preparing him for a future where integrators \u2014 leaders who can connect disciplines and leverage tools like AI to create new solutions \u2014 will be more impactful than ever. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis program teaches people to be at the center, the nexus, the connection point that integrates different domains together.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n That belief shapes not only his career vision, but also how he evaluates the program itself. While it is still relatively new, Fouch values that faculty and staff actively seek feedback from students to help shape its direction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe trajectory of the program is being informed by the people who are living it,\u201d he says. \u201cThat gives me confidence it will only get stronger as it grows.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n For anyone considering Purdue\u2019s Doctor of Engineering program<\/a>, Fouch offers both encouragement and an invitation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you\u2019re considering it, I\u2019d encourage you to reach out to me or other students to hear first-hand what makes it unique,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s an exceptional opportunity to make a real impact in your career and in your industry.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n In the end, the once-reluctant Purdue outsider is now proud to call himself a Boilermaker. And with the program\u2019s integration of knowledge, industry application and faculty support, Fouch sees his decision as one that will continue to pay dividends throughout his career. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Learn more about Purdue\u2019s Doctor of Engineering<\/a> program at the program\u2019s webpage<\/a> and start your journey today. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When Benjamin Fouch looks back on his career, he doesn\u2019t see a straight line. Instead, he sees a process of elimination. 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