The ExecMBA Podcast

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Liza Ketcham. Liza is a recent graduate in UVA Darden’s Executive MBA Class of 2024, and in this wide-ranging conversation, we talk with her about her decision to pursue an MBA, adjusting to life as an Executive MBA student, her role on the Executive MBA wellness committee, the impact of her time at Darden and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we share a recent installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Ian Appel. His main area of interest is empirical corporate finance, and his recent work studies different types of institutional investors (e.g., index funds, activist hedge funds), corporate environmental behaviors, and governance in decentralized finance.. We talk with Appel about his background, what led him to Darden, his FinTech electives, decentralized finance, cryptocurrency and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we share a recent installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Shane Dikolli. Dikolli’s primary research interests focus on the performance evaluation of CEOs spanning both analytical modeling and empirical analysis, and he currently serves as an editor at The Accounting Review. We talk with Dikolli about his background, what attracted him to Accounting, what led him to Darden, his Strategic Costing elective, his global course in Australia and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

In this episode, we catch up with Chantal Mekhail. Chantal is a first year student in UVA Darden’s Executive MBA Class of 2025, and she is also a Batten Scholar. We talk with Chantal about her decision to pursue an MBA, what led her to Darden, the impact of her time in the Executive MBA program, her experience as a Batten Scholar and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Madison Mahoney and Kyle Ivester. Madison and Kyle are first year students in UVA Darden’s Executive MBA Class of 2025, and they also serve as section representatives. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk with Madison and Kyle about their decision to pursue an MBA, what led them to Darden, what they’ve enjoyed about their first year, their advice for prospective students and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

In this podcast episode, we catch up with Dylan Kenney and Haley O’Brien. Dylan and Haley are first year students in UVA Darden’s Executive MBA Class of 2025, and they also serve as section representatives. We talk with Dylan and Haley about their backgrounds, their decision to pursue an MBA, what led them to Darden, what attracted them to the section representative role and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with KJ Sloan. KJ is a second year in our Executive MBA Class of 2024, and she currently works as a Senior Field Producer for CNBC. In this conversation, we talk with KJ about her decision to pursue an MBA, the value of an MBA for journalists, how she juggled work, life and school during the Executive MBA program, her advice for prospective students and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we catch up with Carlos Bortoni. Carlos is an MBA/M.Ed graduate in Darden’s Class of 2019, and he currently serves As Senior Director for the Batten Institute’s new launched “Tech Hub,” a cross-departmental effort to advance Darden’s presence and standing in technology through thought leadership, faculty and student engagement, and stakeholder management across the broader tech, startup, VC/PE, and industry-specific ecosystems in the U.S. and globally. We talk with Carlos about his Darden experience, what brought him back to Darden for his current role, why he’s so passionate about tech, what he’s looking forward to in the coming months and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

In this special episode of the Darden Admissions podcast, we catch up with Jen Coleman. Jen is the Executive Director of the Armstrong Center for Alumni Career Services at Darden, and she also serves as an Executive Coach and Career Consultant. We chat with Jen about her background, what brought her to coaching, how she works with alumni, her advice for prospective students and more. All Darden alumni have complimentary access to career support through Alumni Career Services for life. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

In this special edition of the podcast, we are excited to share another installment from our ongoing Women@Darden event series featuring Executive Fellow and Professor of Practice Carolyn Miles (MBA ’88). This wide-ranging conversation hosted by Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions Dawna Clarke touches on Miles’ advice and insights for prospective and admitted students, her work as CEO of Save the Children, what brought her back to Darden and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba