Kristin Lyle George is a 2023 graduate of the Gary W. Rollins College of Business at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), where she earned a degree in marketing. Today, Kristin serves as marketing director at Hagler Process, an industrial pump and process equipment company serving manufacturers throughout the Southeast.
In this alumni Q&A, Kristin Lyle reflects on her journey — from falling in love with UTC on a rainy campus tour in 8th grade to leading marketing strategy in a thriving industrial business.
Tell us about your current role as marketing director. What excites you about it?
I am the marketing director at Hagler Process, an industrial pump and process equipment company serving manufacturers and industrial facilities throughout the Southeast. We specialize in process equipment distribution, system engineering, pump repair, project management, metrology and technical service solutions.
In my role, I lead the company’s B2B marketing strategy across both digital and traditional channels. This includes designing and managing our website, overseeing social media, planning trade shows and events, coordinating branded merchandise, creating content and developing campaigns.
What excites me most about my role is the opportunity to bring innovative marketing strategies into an industry that has traditionally been slower to adopt them, particularly in the digital space. There is still so much untapped potential in industrial marketing, and I enjoy finding new ways to showcase the value of what we do and helping our company continue to grow.
How did you navigate the transition from marketing student to marketing professional in a technical industry?
When I started at Hagler Process as an intern during my senior year at UTC, there was definitely a learning curve because of the technical and engineering-focused nature of the business. However, I am fortunate to work alongside a team of industry experts who trusted my ideas and continually invested in helping me learn. I found myself making connections to my job in class all the time and realized how many skills were transferable from the classroom to the office.
As the company’s sole marketer, I’ve been given the opportunity to take ownership of major initiatives and make meaningful decisions early in my career. With Hagler Process being in a niche industry, one thing I enjoy most is translating complex industrial and mechanical applications into clear, accessible messaging. Whether it’s helping a plant engineer, service technician or operations manager find the right solution, my goal is to connect people with the expertise they need to solve real-world process challenges.
Where did you grow up, and what brought you to UTC?
I grew up in Franklin, Tennessee — just 20 minutes south of busy downtown Nashville! Growing up two hours from Chattanooga, I always had a lot of ties here through family members that lived in the city, so I grew up loving Chatt. My mom, several cousins and my older brother all went to UTC, so it already felt like home in a way. The growth of the Rollins College of Business in the years before I joined had me excited to explore my opportunities here.
If you could take us back to your first visit to UTC and RCOB, what stood out to you the most?
Back when I first visited UTC, I was actually on a campus tour for my brother while he was looking into where he was going to college, and I was just in 8th grade at the time. I vividly remember that it was a rainy day, and I can still picture the mint green rain jacket and Hunter rain boots our tour guide was wearing. Even on a cloudy day, she made the entire tour so fun!
Although the tour technically wasn’t for me, I remember acting like it was. I could so easily picture myself being a student there. I was amazed by the beauty of the campus and the kindness of the students and staff. I fell in love with UTC that day, and that sense of excitement, freedom and opportunity I felt walking around stuck with me all through high school — until I got my very own chance to walk in my rain boots from my West Campus dorm to the Rollins College of Business four years later.
Can you think of a time when a professor’s passion for their subject really inspired you?
It has to be Ryan Russell! Professor Russell made class engaging and realistic. Being that he is a business owner himself, he was always sharing and connecting the content we learned in class to real-world applications. Throughout the semester, he would bring in outside employers to share their story with us, give us a chance to pick their brains and discover what marketing is like outside of the classroom.
The professors at the Rollins College of Business are overall awesome, so this is also a staff shoutout. Senior year, I had to take a sales class and let me tell you,this class intimidated me so much because the idea of pitching people and the possibility of rejection in sales was so scary to me. But David Locander’s class had a huge impact on me. It made me realize that no matter your career path, you will always be using sales somehow.
Professor Locander helped me learn how to pitch myself and my ideas through networking, how to sell a product through asking the right discovery questions and ultimately gave me the confidence boost I needed to start interviewing for full-time jobs. I discovered that I loved the values of working for a passionate, family-owned company and decided to continue my career with Hagler full-time following graduation.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give your younger self, and how does that connect to your time at RCOB?
You have to pave the path for yourself. Nobody is going to do it for you, but knowing the right people can help. Listen up to what is going on around you because it really is all about who you know, and you never know who might be around the corner with a great opportunity for you — or later on down the road in your career path.
Take advantage of networking opportunities, get curious about what people do and get involved as much as you can! There are so many great resources at UTC, the Rollins College of Business and in our community that can help set you up for success, so capitalize on those early on.
How would you explain the role RCOB played in setting you up for career success to a prospective student?
The Rollins College of Business created a great foundation for me and allowed me to explore multiple career paths within marketing and business to help me figure out what I got excited about. There is still so much to learn outside of the classroom once you are working in your field, but the Rollins College of Business does a fantastic job of building a solid foundation for success.
What would you tell future RCOB students about how to succeed in college?
Talk to people! Get to know your classmates and professors. You can learn a lot from your peers, and you just might make a lasting friendship or meet a new mentor. The part-time jobs I worked in college were through knowing other students in the College of Business who told me about opportunities. Those jobs helped me get through school and continue to build my work ethic.
Get familiar with the uncomfortable. Opportunities are all around you in an environment like the Rollins College of Business, and you will learn a lot about yourself if you push past your comfort zone and allow yourself to grow and learn.
In one sentence, what makes the Rollins College of Business special?
What makes the Rollins College of Business special is that it feels personal, creating an environment where students aren’t just earning a degree. They’re building relationships, gaining experience and growing into confident professionals.
Let’s see where business will take you.
The best marketers can translate complexity into clarity — no matter the industry. At UTC’s Gary W. Rollins College of Business, marketing students build that versatility through hands-on learning, mentorship from faculty who challenge you to grow, and a foundation that prepares you to lead from day one.
