By: Madison Maxwell (BA 18, MS 21)
Whether in his 30-plus years of dedicated service at Delta Air Lines or in his unwavering devotion to the organizations he believes in, Loren Neuenschwander’s (BS 87) joyful service is contagious to everyone he meets. We sat down with Neuenschwander to hear about how he ended up at Grace for career preparation, how he landed his role at Delta, and how he discerned which job placements to pursue over the years.
You have an interesting story of coming to Grace. How did you make your college decision?
I was raised in Berne, Indiana, as the youngest of five kids. My grandfather migrated from Berne, Switzerland, with a large group of Mennonites who were avoiding military service. So most of my family is still in that area. All four of my older brothers and sisters went to Taylor University. To be honest, I always kind of thought I’d end up there, but I wanted something a little more conservative. I visited several schools with my mom, and Grace just felt like home. I studied accounting and computer science, and it turned out to be the best four years of my life.
What are some of your best college memories?
So, like all freshman guys, I assumed I’d live in Beta Hall. But I got there, and they put me in a senior off-campus dorm. The basketball coach at the time had a couple of guys coming onto the team who struggled academically, and I had been valedictorian at my high school. So they stuck me in with those two guys in a senior dorm called Lakeside. I ended up living with basketball players all four years, some of whom are still close friends to this day.
Who was your favorite Grace professor?
My favorite professor was Dr. Ted Hildebrandt, who taught Old Testament History. He had such a passion for the Old Testament. I remember him pulling out all these maps and drawing up the battles that took place. He brought the Old Testament to life.
How did you navigate the job placement process after college?
I graduated with my accounting degree, got my CPA, and then worked for eight months in public accounting in South Bend. It was the worst eight months of my life. I remember wondering, “What have I done?” I loved studying accounting, but I realized I did not enjoy the reality of my job. So I quit public accounting and went back to start my MBA at IU in Indianapolis.
After my first year at IU, I started applying to airlines. I had never been outside of the country, and I loved to travel, so I applied to Northwest, United, and Delta. Delta called me and said, “Hey, we don’t care about your MBA, but if you want a job, we’ve got this financial analyst job open.” So I dropped out of school (I did end up completing my MBA at Auburn University later on) and moved down to Atlanta. When I got there, in September of 1990, the clouds parted; it was the most wonderful company, the most wonderful people, and the best job placement I could have asked for.
What was it like transitioning to your new role at Delta?
I could travel anywhere on the planet I wanted to go. And for my very first job as a financial analyst, they had me up in New York working on the acquisition of Pan American World Airways back in the day. (That’s how old I am!) Here’s this young kid from the farmland of Indiana, now on the 70th floor of a skyscraper in New York, working on an acquisition. Delta was just the best job placement ever. I tell everybody that there was no better fit for me than Delta Air Lines. I worked there for 30 years, retiring as a managing director of finance.
When you look back over your career successes, what is one of your highlights from working with Delta?
One of the best experiences I had, and probably the hardest, was when Delta merged with Northwest Airlines, which was based in Minnesota. The CEO of Delta took me up there multiple times to help negotiate the deal. And then he asked me to move there and help integrate the Northwest team into Delta. And so I lived in Minnesota for five years, working on the merger and bringing them all into the Delta culture.
How did you discern which job placements to take and which ones to leave?
I remember being called over to the CFO’s office and being told we were moving to London. I went kicking and screaming because I’d never been over there. I didn’t want to go. And then one day, I woke up and realized I really loved it there. And then, several years later, a job in Paris opened up, so I begged to go, thinking that if London was that great, Paris would be spectacular. I ended up hating it. I realized whenever I think I know what I want, God’s like, “No, no, no. You don’t know what you’re doing.” So from that point on, I just learned to say, “Hey, whatever Delta asks me to do, I’m going to say yes because that’s God’s path, and if my heart is open, I’m going to do it.” So, I stopped asking for different roles. I decided to say yes to whatever they asked me to do and to trust the Lord — and it has worked out.
Throughout many promotions, moves, and career successes, you’ve been engaged with Grace. Why?
Well, because they first invested in me. As a young kid coming out of high school, I was scared out of my mind coming into college, but as I mentioned before, it was the best four years of my life. I’ve had a most blessed career at Delta, but my four years at Grace were fantastic. My closest friends from Grace are still in my circle today, and we talk all the time.
So I’m going to continue giving back to the school because I want young people to have the same experience I had. I am just so proud of where Grace has come, and I believe it’s our calling as believers to give back to those who gave to us.
Job Placements at Grace
Students at Grace receive more than knowledge; they develop leadership skills in a Christ-centered community, gain hands-on experience off campus, and develop a biblical worldview that prepares them to reflect Christ in organizations of every size.
Whether you’re interested in accounting, finance, management, or entrepreneurship, Grace College equips students like Neuenschwander to lead with excellence, integrity, and purpose. Read more alumni stories here.
And if you’re interested in accounting like Neuenschwander, learn more about what accounting majors do.
