By Vicki Salemi

These three intense adjectives describe a highly motivated Dan Aptor, alumni of New York University's (NYU) online master of science degree in management and systems. He also happens to be the director of financial systems at NBC Universal.

Although Dan had already earned an MBA in finance from the University of Pittsburgh in a traditional classroom, he decided to pursue another master's using online learning at New York University's School of Continuing and Professional Studies. The primary allure for this busy professional? To gain theoretical knowledge in systems and project management directly relating to his job. Instead of relying on things seen and experienced at work, he was excited to expand his knowledge base and become a formidable expert on specific subject matter. "I like the coursework and breadth of learning," he explains.

Since his background is in strategic planning, his online coursework supplemented his knowledge of system implementation, project management, change management, and leadership transformation. "The concepts I learned at NYU in my three years acted as a catalyst to apply theory to real-world problems," he notes. "I have significantly accelerated my career as I have been able to bridge the gap between finance and IT." Thus far, says Dan, he's on his way to accomplishing his academic goals: His continual learning has led to continued business success across a number of diverse platforms.

In his current position with NBC, Dan is responsible for five direct reports and various projects within financial systems such as SAP, the world's largest inter-enterprise software company supporting business processes. He is called upon daily to align systems and processes to increase the efficiency of the finance department, including reporting digitization, project championship (PMMM), and Six Sigma. And, now that his online classes are completed, Dan is currently preparing his thesis on Entity Resource Planning (ERP), which joins organizational processes such as human resources, finance, operations, marketing, and supply chain management into one system to work seamlessly across different currencies and time zones. And he's not stopping there. He is also busy researching behavioral issues -- often the reason why implementations of these must-have business systems fail.

Since Dan's based on the west coast and has an incredibly busy schedule, why would this busy executive select NYU? "I wanted to [study] at a top-notch school and NYU is a credible one," notes Dan. The time difference didn't factor into his education as he participated in countless group projects and assignments on east coast time.

In fact, as a result of the assignments in systems management, which NYU structures to require class participation and plenty of peer interaction, Dan was able to form strong relationships despite not having face-to-face interaction. Even after completing his classes, the camaraderie continues; he still keeps in touch with classmates, he says. In fact, their bond is so strong that Dan indicates in the future if he travels to Manhattan for business or pleasure, he could easily call a classmate and get together for dinner or have a place to stay.

Online learning was ideal for Dan, who prides himself on his strong self-discipline. "Make sure you're not looking for someone to hold your hand -- online learning is not for everyone," he says. In other words, only the ambitious and self-motivated need apply. "You only get out of it what you put into it."

For Dan, such hard-working ideals were instilled in him early on. While growing up in an immigrant family, this son of working class parents from Latvia (formerly part of the communist Soviet Union) arrived in the U.S. when he was five years old. Over the years, he overcame obstacles, including looking after his brother who is nine years younger. He attributes such experiences to learning resiliency and accountability for his actions. "It's no one's fault but my own if I don't succeed," he explains.

Though Dan notes his NYU classwork and current thesis work has been challenging, he's always been accustomed to having a lot on his plate. "If I'm not completely consumed, it's a challenge to relax," says Dan, whose little free time is consumed with outdoor activities. Still, he's looking forward to breathing a sigh of relief once his thesis is done this summer. That is, until he takes on his next challenge.