The ExecMBA Podcast

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with John Grant and Carter Whitelow. John is a second year student in our Executive MBA Class of 2023, and Carter is a first year student in our Executive MBA Class of 2024. As you will learn from this conversation, John and Carter are friends outside of Darden, and this relationship played an important role in Carter’s MBA journey. We talk with John and Carter about their decision to pursue an MBA, what led them to Darden, the impact of the Executive MBA program and much more.

In this special edition of the podcast, we are excited to share a recent conversation between the Dean of the Darden School of Business Scott Beardsley and Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions Dawna Clarke about why it has never been a better time to be at Darden. Beardsley and Clarke share insights on a number of topics including the importance of financial accessibility and scholarships, Darden’s unique academic environment, updates on School priorities and how students can take a Darden MBA ‘from here to anywhere.’ This conversation was recorded on 2 November.

In this special edition of the podcast, we are excited to share another installment from our ongoing Women@Darden event series featuring Professor Melissa Thomas-Hunt. Thomas-Hunt is the John Forbes Distinguished Professor of Business Administration at the Darden School of Business and Professor of Public Policy at the Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, and she is also the former Head of Global Diversity and Belonging at Airbnb where she led the strategy and execution of our global internal diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging programs. For 25 years, she has taught MBAs and executives leadership, team dynamics, and negotiations and conducted research on the factors that unleash, leverage, and amplify the contributions made by individuals, particularly women, underrepresented individuals, and numerical minorities. During this wide-ranging conversation moderated by Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions Dawna Clarke, Thomas-Hunt touches upon her professional journey, what led her to Darden, her experience at Airbnb and more.

Did you know over half of our Executive MBA students identify as career switchers? True story. In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Jim Collins. Jim is a Career Coach with UVA Darden’s Professional Degree Programs, and we talk with him about the career exploration process for working professional students. Jim also shares tips and insights for students seeking to leverage their Part-Time MBA or Executive MBA experience to facilitate a career change.

In this episode of the podcast, we talk with Jennifer Windus. Jennifer is a Career Center Executive Coach, and she is the newest member of the Career team that supports Darden’s Professional Degree Program students. We talk with Jennifer about her background, what led her to career coaching, what she enjoys about working with students on their professional goals as well as her advice for prospective students as they consider next steps along their career path.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Tanveer Kathawalla and Natalie Szmyd. Tanveer and Natalie are second year students in the Executive MBA Class of 2023, and they are Co-Presidents of the Executive MBA Venture Capital Club. We talk with Tanveer and Natalie about their backgrounds, how they decided to pursue an MBA, the impact of their Darden experience so far as well as their plans for the VC Club in the months ahead.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Johnny O’Boyle and Hannah Solomon. Johnny and Hannah are second year students in the Executive MBA Class of 2023, and they are also Co-Presidents of the Executive MBA Entrepreneurship Club (EMBEC). We talk with Johnny and Hannah about their backgrounds, their decision to pursue an MBA, what led them to Darden and their plans for EMBEC in the year ahead.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Matthew Boyd and JB Norcott. Matthew and JB are second year students in the Executive MBA Class of 2023, and they are also Co-Presidents of the Black Executive MBA (BEMBA) student organization. We talk with Matthew and JB about their backgrounds, their decision to pursue an MBA, what led them to Darden and their plans for BEMBA in the year ahead.

In this special episode of the Darden Admissions podcast, we’re excited to share a recent installment from our ongoing Women@Darden event series featuring Carolyn Miles (MBA ’88). Miles is an Executive Fellow and Professor of Practice, and she is also the former Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children, an organization that gives children in the United States and around the world a healthy start, the opportunity to learn, and protection from harm. In this conversation, Miles shares reflections on her MBA journey, the impact of her Darden experience, the work she and other are doing as part of Darden’s Women 2.0 initiative, highlights from UVA Darden’s inaugural women’s summit and more.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Sherri Watson. Sherri is the Assistant Dean for Student Engagement for the Professional Degree Programs at the Darden School of Business, and in her role, she supports Executive MBA and Part-Time MBA students learning out of Sands Family Grounds in Rosslyn. In this wide-ranging conversation, Sherri reflects upon her background, her passion for working with students, what led her to Darden, her impressions of UVA Darden’s Executive MBA and Part-Time MBA student communities and more.