The ExecMBA Podcast

In this conversation, we catch up with Samantha Shedd. Samantha is a graduate in the Executive MBA Class of 2021, and we recently connected with her via Zoom to talk about her about her MBA journey, what led her to Darden, how her class built community through the pandemic as well as her new role with Microsoft. Samantha also reflects upon how Darden’s Executive MBA program allowed her not only to expand her professional network but to also form lifelong friendships.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Assistant Director of Admissions Ashley Robinson. Ashley joined our Professional Degree Programs Admissions team in July 2021, and we chat with her about her background, what led her to Darden and why she’s passionate about working with working professionals students. We even find time to talk a little basketball, including whether the Los Angeles Lakers will make the playoffs this year.

In this special edition of the podcast, we spotlight the University of Virginia’s MS in Business Analytics. The MSBA is a 12-month program offered in partnership by the Darden School of Business and the McIntire School of Commerce, and it is designed for working professionals seeking to learn essential and emerging data analysis techniques within a business context. We are joined for this conversation by two Admissions colleagues from the McIntire School of Commerce, Lizzie Batman and Mary Wells, as well as frequent Admissions podcast guest and Darden Admissions Committee member, Katherine Alford.

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 Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions Dawna Clarke and Professor of Practice Vivian Riefberg. Riefberg is a Professor of Practice at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia where she holds a David C. Walentas Jefferson Scholars Chair. She joined the Darden faculty after over 31 years at McKinsey & Company, and she is one of the faculty sponsors for the Women@Darden initiative, teaches in both the Executive and Full-Time MBA formats, and serves on many advisory boards. Riefberg is a Director Emeritus with McKinsey and was also recently named as an Advisory Board Member for the Smithsonian's American Women's History Museum.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Kortney Johnson (Class of 2022). Kortney is a second year student in our Executive MBA Class of 2022, and we recently connected with her via Zoom to discuss her MBA journey. Kortney served in the United States Marine Corps prior to Darden. and during her time in the Executive MBA program, Kortney has had a number of significant life events – having a child, moving across the country, taking on a new job. Kortney shares observations and lessons learned from the past two years, what she feels differentiates Darden from other MBA programs and why she’s so excited about what’s to come in her life and career.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Matt Arny (EMBA ’15). Over the course of his decorated career, Matt has served in a series of leadership positions of the U.S. Navy. In this conversation, Matt reflects upon his time in the Navy – including a stop in the U.S. Embassy in Sweden – as well as his decision to pursue an MBA. He talks about the power of the Darden experience, and the integral role his classmates played in helping him juggle the competing demands of the program and a growing family. Matt is currently charting the next step in his career, and he reflects upon his approach to identifying what’s next – and how Darden is helping him get there.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with two second year students in our Executive MBA Class of 2022, Michelle Amato and Michelle Cobb. Amato and Cobb are entering their last quarter as Executive MBA students, and we connected with them via Zoom to talk about their decision to pursue an MBA, what led them to Darden, and how the program has helped them grow both personally and professionally. They also reflect upon the tight-knit nature of their cohort, the profound impact their classmates have had upon their MBA journeys and what makes the Darden community unique. Fun fact: Michelle Amato recently recruited Michelle Cobb to join her as a co-worker at her company, Workiva.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Second Year Executive MBA student Ann Lowe (Class of 2022). Ann shares insights about her decision an MBA, what led her to Darden, and her advice for students trying to determine the right time to do an Executive MBA program. We also talk with Ann about her career journey, the recent launch of her own consulting company, and her experience working with her classmates on an entrepreneurial venture and participating in the UVA E-Cup.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we share the 11th installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Toni Irving. Irving is a Professor of Practice at the Darden School, and she teaches several courses in the Strategy, Ethics and Entrepreneurship area, including “Getting in the Room Where It Happens: How to Successfully Navigate the Workplace and Get Things Done”, “Business Ethics Through Literature”, Whose Streets?!: ESG Strategies to Create Competitive Advantage from Wall Street to Main Street” and “Thinking of a Master Plan: Non-Profit Management, Metrics & Impact Making in the Field.” In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk with Irving about her journey from UVA grad to English and American Literature PhD to English professor to Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor for the Governor State of Illinois to founding and launching a social impact fund and now her work at Darden. She also shares insights about her courses and reflects upon what she enjoys about teaching both Full-Time MBA and Executive MBA students.

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we share the 10th installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Marc Lipson. Lipson is a member of the Finance faculty, and he teaches a wide range of courses at the Darden School, including First Year Finance, International Corporate Finance, and Innovators, Designers, and Entrepreneurs in Action. He also recently served as the Associate Dean for the Full-Time MBA program. Lipson’s principal area of research is market microstructure — the study of how market design and organization affects price formation and liquidity. We talk with Lipson about what led him to Darden, what he loves about the Darden classroom, his time as a visiting scholar at the New York Stock Exchange, as well as his passion for art and culture and how these interests inform his work.