Leading with Purpose: Jonathon Geels on Balancing Career, Family and a Notre Dame EMBA

“In many ways, the Michiana Forty under 40 program and the Notre Dame EMBA mirror each other — both prioritize integrity, leadership and a commitment to growth.”

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Why Now – and Why Notre Dame

As the president of Troyer Group and a 2023 graduate of the University of Notre Dame Executive MBA program at the Mendoza College of Business, Jonathon Geels is very familiar with balancing high-level leadership with a deep commitment to community and family. A 2016 recipient of the South Bend Regional Chamber’s Forty under 40 award, Geels embodies Mendoza’s tagline: Grow the Good in Business.

When Geels decided to pursue his Executive MBA at Notre Dame, it wasn’t because he needed a new title or a career pivot; his motivation was self-improvement.

“I was starting down the path of leadership at my firm and recognizing that there were gaps in the experience that I had as a practitioner,” he said.

What he found in addition to academic rigor and professional development was a community of like-minded leaders deeply motivated by purpose.

Making It Work with Creative Solutions

For working professionals with families, an EMBA program can feel daunting. But Geels found ways to integrate the experience into his daily life. “You build stuff into the margins,” he said. “I’d go to work, pick up the kids from practice, help with homework and then hop online to meet with my team who were on West Coast time.”

He even managed to squeeze in course readings while attending his kids’ sporting events. One of his classmates, who had a long commute, used an app that read PDFs aloud to stay on top of assignments while driving. “You have to get creative with your schedule,” he explained, “but it’s doable. And these were really smart individuals. I learned so much about how to navigate it from them, things I never would have thought of before.”

From Recognition to Acceleration

Geels was named to the Michiana Forty under 40 list in 2016, years before joining the EMBA program. While there wasn’t a direct connection at the time, the alignment is clear in retrospect.

“In many ways, the Forty under 40 program and the Notre Dame EMBA mirror each other — both prioritize integrity, leadership and a commitment to growth,” he said. “They recognize individuals not just for what they’ve accomplished, but for the values they carry and the potential they’re cultivating. When more Forty under 40 awardees pursue graduate business degrees, it amplifies that trajectory.”

That spirit of growth is evident in how he talks about his future. “At The Troyer Group, profit is just the fuel that helps get us where we want to go, but the ultimate goal is to be a catalyst for positive impact,” Geels said.

Notre Dame’s mission-based approach resonated deeply with him from day one. “I was really eager to find the intersection between ‘Grow the Good in Business’ and our firm’s tagline: ‘Together, We Will,’” he added. “Both had a unique aspirational quality and spoke to why we do what we do.”

A Consistent Why

When asked to sum up his EMBA experience in a sentence or two, Geels’ response was grounded and personal: “I started the program with the intention of resting in my authentic self. Throughout the process, being focused on the ‘why’ was such a powerful thing, a guide throughout the entire experience. I never wavered from that.”

Now, he carries that clarity into his work, his leadership and his community. “You have more agency than you think. Even if you’re not in a position of authority, you can influence how you practice your profession. That’s empowering,” he said.

For Jonathon Geels, the Notre Dame EMBA was not just about accelerating his career; it was about aligning his work with his purpose. And that, perhaps more than anything, is what makes him a model for the kind of leader Notre Dame aims to shape.

The University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business is offering a $30,000 scholarship toward the Executive MBA program for recipients of the Michiana Forty under 40 award—supporting emerging leaders who are making a difference in the region.

Learn more about Notre Dame’s Executive MBA program.