Where it all began
When asked about Clemson, Kimberly Byars ’92 says that it has always felt like home. From the very first summer she attended Clemson Career Workshop as a rising junior in high school to stepping on campus her first day of her first year, she has never once doubted that Clemson was the place for her.
As a first-generation college student, Byars began as a double major in computer and electrical engineering. At 18 years old, she was also responsible for her two-year-old son, who stayed with her mother in Gaffney during the school year while she attended Clemson, and then lived with her on campus during summers and his breaks.
Growing up with a single mother who had an incredible work ethic shaped me. My grandparents were equally dedicated workers, as was my great-grandfather. All of them showed me what perseverance looks like, and that strong work ethic became part of who I am.
Kimberly Byars
In between finding her balance, Byars soon realized that her heart wasn’t completely in engineering. By junior year, she had made up her mind and changed her major to marketing. “It started to feel like I was finally on the right path,” she says.
She graduated in the summer of 1992 and returned to Gaffney to focus on raising her son. Byars worked a variety of jobs before landing a role at BMW’s new Performance Center in Greer in 1999. She applied to be a receptionist. Instead, she was offered a different role as a service advisor.
Over the next 26 years, she would earn her master’s degree, hold multiple leadership positions across the country, become a sales and operations manager responsible for nine BMW dealerships in Tennessee and Alabama, and launch a wedding planning company, Affluent Affairs, based in Upstate South Carolina.
Back to the classroom
As she was figuring out her next steps, her nephew sent her an article about Clemson’s new Executive Leadership Ph.D. program and encouraged her to apply. “I had no idea I would be accepted,” she says. “Being admitted into this program was an amazing opportunity that I could not turn down.”
Suddenly, she was running a business, working full time at BMW, and enrolled in a doctoral program all at once. Now, as part of the program’s first cohort, Kimberly finds herself reflecting in new ways.
Through the program, she has learned more about herself as a leader, built lasting relationships with her cohort and developed a clearer vision for how she can make a meaningful difference in the people she supports every day.
One of the most interesting parts of the program for her is her dissertation research. It has opened her eyes to new ways of thinking about leadership and how organizations perform, especially within the dealership networks she works closely with.
“This program has transformed not just my knowledge, but my perspective. Thanks to the invaluable support of my dissertation chair, Dr. Amy Ingram, Program Director Dr. Kristin Scott, and the collaborative spirit of my eight cohort members, I’ve discovered the power of inquiry through my dissertation research—how asking the right questions can unlock solutions we never imagined,” Byars says. “When Dr. Craig Wallace spoke about his consulting work, I realized that research isn’t just an academic exercise; it’s a tool for making a real difference in the world. Now I see how I can use these skills to transform the automotive industry I know so well.”
A Tiger forever
With graduation right around the corner for Byars, she’s excited to receive her second Clemson degree and see what this next chapter has in store for her. Between her role at BMW, her growing wedding planning business, Affluent Affairs and her close-knit and supportive family, she knows she’s exactly where she’s meant to be.
“I’ve always felt drawn back here,” she says. “Clemson gave me so much, and now I’m at a point in my life where I’d love to give back. It feels like the perfect next chapter — returning to where my journey began.”
About the Executive Leadership Ph.D. Program
The Executive Leadership Ph.D. program within the Department of Management at Clemson’s Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business is led by top researchers who deliver an innovative portfolio of courses to take executive careers to the next level. The unique program takes a “deep dive” into leadership to enable students to pursue a research agenda fueled by their interests to solve real issues and inspire meaningful change.
The program takes an evidence-based approach to leadership with the intent to produce thoughtful leaders who excel at intellectual, interpersonal and strategic pursuits in an ever-changing, multicultural environment. Graduates of the program are qualified for faculty positions in academic settings where they can share their knowledge with future business leaders. Additionally, graduates may return to industry and utilize advanced research techniques to transform organizations, as well as apply innovative solutions to complex business problems.
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