The ExecMBA Podcast

Welcome to our first ever “mailbag show”! You’ve got questions – We’ve got answers. In this episode of the podcast, we invite back Senior Associate Director of Admissions, Katherine Alford, to take on some of the questions we frequently receive from Executive MBA prospective students. Questions include “Is it a good time to apply?”, “What are the differences between EMBA and GEMBA?”, “Do students stay at the hotel during weekend residencies?”, “How do you know if an MBA is right for you?”, “What is Darden looking for in the Admissions process” and much more.

In this episode, we catch up with EMBA format student, Corinne Bishop. We sat down with Corinne just after Quarter 1 to talk about her background in dance, how she decided to pursue an MBA, her current work for an educational technology company and how she’s adjusted to balancing work and life and school and Executive MBA student.

In this episode, we sit down with Nicole Vij. Nicole is an EMBA format student in our Class of 2021, and she works as a healthcare consultant. We caught up with her to talk about her background, what led her to pursue her MBA after completing another graduate degree and why she feels an MBA is particularly helpful for healthcare professionals. 

In this episode, we are joined by two regular podcast guests, Career Advisors Jim Collins and Sarita Soldz. In this wide-ranging episode, we talk with Jim and Sarita about the phases of the career exploration process – from self-reflection and informational networking to application submission and offer negotiation – and how they coach students to navigate each of these steps. This episode is highly recommended for anyone contemplating a career change or interested in exploring career options.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Taison Bell. Taison is a Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) format student in our Class of 2020, and he is also a physician and a founder. We recently sat down with Taison to talk about his background, why he decided to pursue an MBA, why he thinks business and leadership training is important for medical professionals as well as Owl Peak Labs, the start-up he founded with his classmate and recent podcast guest Tim Harvey.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Tim Harvey. Tim is a Global Executive MBA format student in our Class of 2020, and we recently caught up with him to talk about his decision to pursue an MBA, what attracted him to our GEMBA format as well as the start-up, Owl Peak Labs, he recently founded with his classmate, Taison Bell. Pro Tip: Keep an eye out in the next few days for our conversation with Taison!

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Olivia Zhou. Olivia is a Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) format student in our Class of 2020, and she gave birth to her son just a few weeks after the start of the program. We recently sat down to talk with her about her background, the impact of her Darden experience, as well as how she has balanced the program and the demands of being a new mom.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Tom Duffy. Tom is an Executive MBA (EMBA) format student in our Class of 2020, and he is based in New England. We recently sat down to talk more about his background, why he decided to pursue an MBA, what brought him to Darden as well as what motivated him to serve as a Section representative for his class.

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Laura Martens. Laura is Director of Washington, DC Initiatives for the Darden School of Business, and we recently sat down to talk about her background, what attracted her to her current role and some of the things she is currently working on as Darden continues to build its presence and brand in the Washington, DC metro area.

They’re back! We continue our ongoing conversation with Jonas Porcar Ferrer and Bhavin Patel. In this episode, we catch up with Jonas and Bhavin to talk about Quarters 6 and 7, including the recent Europe global residency, their elective choices as well as what they’ve enjoyed their latest slate of core courses.