Kehinde Ikuyinminu MBA’26 turns real-world learning opportunities into an HR career at Microsoft

Standing out on the job market

Kehinde Ikuyinminu MBA’26 came to Salem with a passion for human resources, work experience around the world, and even a master’s degree in HR management. Still, Kehinde was missing something: a degree that would give him a comprehensive understanding of organizations and the real-world experience he needed to stand out in a competitive job market and take the next step in his career journey.

At Willamette, he found all that and more.

“Willamette opened doors that changed the trajectory of my career,” Kehinde says. “Willamette didn’t just give me access to opportunities; it prepared me to excel in them and think bigger about my long-term impact.”

Now, Kehinde is getting ready to take on a full-time HR role at Microsoft, thanks to a summer internship and the experiential learning opportunities he gained at Willamette.

“My Microsoft HR internship and subsequent full-time role to return to Microsoft after my MBA became possible because of the preparation, mentorship, and confidence I gained at Willamette,” Kehinde says.

While Kehinde already had expertise and work experience in his chosen field of HR, at Willamette's Atkinson Graduate School of Management, he came to see how HR integrates with all the other areas of management. That broad perspective is crucial for an inherently multidisciplinary field where everything comes together.

“Courses in strategy, finance, and marketing challenged me to think beyond theory and make defensible decisions under ambiguity,” Kehinde says. “I now approach problems systematically while grounded in data, guided by values, and focused on long-term impact.”

He also took inspiration from Willamette’s motto — “Not unto ourselves alone are we born” — to always put people at the center of HR decision-making.

“To me, the motto reflects responsibility beyond personal success,” Kehinde reflects. “It means our education is not solely for individual advancement, but for contribution. As someone passionate about HR and employee well-being, I interpret it as a call to build systems that help others thrive. Leadership is service.”

After broadening his perspective, Kehinde learned how to apply what he learned in real-world management situations, giving him the confidence to make effective decisions under pressure. Through Willamette’s unique Angel Investing course — the first of its kind in the country — Kehinde learned to invest real money in real projects.

“It stretched my thinking beyond traditional management frameworks into entrepreneurial judgment and risk assessment,” Kehinde says of the Angel Fund class. “Evaluating real deals forced me to balance financial rigor with human insight.”