NO MB A SO NE AR
C A N TA K E Y O U S O FA R .
Executive MBA
iv
EARN A
v Vanderbilt Executive MBA
WO R L D - C L A S S M BA ON A SCHEDULE THAT WORKS FOR YOU. Ready to make yourself a more valuable player? Make an immediate difference in your organization— and a lasting difference in your career. Earn a degree with the power to open doors around the world. Be a part of a close-knit, supportive community that stays with you for life. If these are your goals, you’ve come to the right place.
1.8
years (average) is how long it takes our graduates to earn back the financial investment of their degree
Personal Scale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Return on Investment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Flexibility. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Respected Name. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Your Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Leadership Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Individual Leadership Development . . . . . . 14 Career Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 C-Teams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 EMBA Faculty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Choose Your Track. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Year One. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Year Two - Executive Edge Track . . . . . . . . . 28 Two Weeks in the Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Year Two - Global Immersion Track. . . . . . . . 34 Nine Days in the Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Family Involvement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Are You Ready? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
ix
Why Vanderbilt: Personal Scale
L E A R N AT A WORLD-RENOWNED INSTITUTION ON A
PERSONAL SCALE.
We’ve built a globally recognized MBA program for executives with world-class faculty and resources. At the same time, our program is small. On purpose. We give you a level of personal attention that larger schools simply can’t deliver. Our program for working professionals starts with a 2 Vanderbilt Executive MBA
personalized admissions process that focuses on understanding your goals and helping you decide if this is the right fit at the right time.
Professors know you by name, and their doors are always open to you. Staff from our Walker Management Library provide personal assistance.
The program format is designed with you in mind.
Our career management professionals are with you from the start of the program until long after you leave.
Our unique Leadership Development Program is entirely structured around your individual strengths, style, and needs.
Your connection to Vanderbilt doesn’t end with graduation. Once you join our family, it’s for life.
“Some of the reasons I chose Vanderbilt were the brand name that is globally recognized, the renowned professors, and the small class size, which meant more focus on me and my development.”
SURABHI KHANNA Senior Director, Planning of Services and Product Development MEDHOST VA N D E R B I LT E X E C U T I V E M B A
Join us at an event. See for yourself. VanderbiltEMBAEvents.com
3
Why Vanderbilt: Return on Investment
MAKE YOURSELF MORE VALUABLE
FROM WEEK ONE. 4 Vanderbilt Executive MBA
85
%
of EMBA students reported a promotion due to the program
Our students tell us that they: n
Start seeing dividends from their MBA investment almost immediately.
n
Apply what they learned on Saturday in their workplaces the following Monday.
n
Gain confidence as they better understand the functional areas of their organization—confidence that enables them to offer ideas and take on increased responsibility.
n
Receive recognition from colleagues (and superiors) who notice a difference in their performance.
n
Quite often, receive promotions well before they graduate—a tangible recognition of increased value.
Bottom line: Your Vanderbilt MBA will earn significant ROI, both right away and for the rest of your career.
5
Why Vanderbilt: More Flexibility
S C H O O L O N S AT U R D AY. H O M E O N S U N D AY. Two years. Two Saturdays a month. Our schedule gives you an important degree of flexibility, enabling you to complete all of the program’s requirements while minimizing disruptions to your career and the time you spend away from your other commitments.
6 Vanderbilt Executive MBA
“With two small kids and a full-time job, going back to school for my MBA seemed almost impossible. The ease of Saturday classes made getting an MBA attainable. It’s the perfect solution for a working professional.” JOAN SMITH Vice President PeopleTec VA N D E R B I LT E X E C U T I V E M B A
Many MBA programs for executives don’t simply happen during the weekend. They are your weekend, with classes running from Friday night through Sunday. At Vanderbilt, we efficiently pack a full MBA curriculum into a schedule that limits your classes to Saturdays. That way, you won’t have to take time away from your career on Friday afternoons. And you can be home on Sunday to relax, spend time with your family, and be refreshed for work on Monday morning. Participating in classes on Saturdays minimizes your days away from work and family and gives you the flexibility to manage your time according to your needs.
7
Why Vanderbilt: Respected Name
A NAME RESPECTED AROUND THE WORLD CAN MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE
IN YOUR CAREER. 8 Vanderbilt Executive MBA
0
competition from part-time or undergraduate students for career services or professors’ time
If you’re interested in an MBA that will propel your career forward, take a closer look at Vanderbilt. The Executive MBA program is the same degree awarded to our full-time MBA students. It carries the prestige and door-opening power that comes with the Vanderbilt name. It connects you to an active and supportive network of Vanderbilt alumni all over the world. It tells people that you haven’t merely obtained an MBA. You’ve earned it.
9
Why Vanderbilt: Your Network
JOIN A NETWORK THAT ACTIVELY WORKS FOR YOU. At Vanderbilt, you’ll become part of a network of successful business people with an array of backgrounds and experience— leaders who will become mentors you can call on for advice and support throughout the rest of your career. As our students attest, our alumni go out of their way to help. They make introductions. They serve as professional sounding boards. They take your call and answer your questions. They will make the return on your Vanderbilt investment even greater for years to come.
“Being part of Owen’s alumni community offers a shared experience and level of trust that is rare in professional networking. When I learned that my former classmate was forming a new team at her company, I was confident it was a great opportunity to both enhance my career and collaborate with a respected colleague.”
E M M E LY DUNCAN Corporate Development Premise Health VA N D E R B I LT E X E C U T I V E M B A
You’ll benefit from a highly supportive network of students and alumni around the world who will be there to help you throughout your career.
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53
%
of our EMBA students are referred by an alumnus of the program
15
%
of students are referred by a corporate client or employer we currently work with
KERI FLOYD K E L LY
SARAH TRAHERN
STEVE BROPHY
Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Nissan
CEO, Country Music Association
Vice President, Public Policy and Government Relations, Dollar General
Keri Floyd Kelly is director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) at Nissan. She is a strategic leader who is uniquely positioned to lead and influence cross-functionally, having held positions of increasing responsibility in finance, marketing, purchasing, and human resources. Throughout her career, she has differentiated herself as a curator of ideas and data-driven insights that deliver business results. She was instrumental in the design of the DEI Summit and Workshop held in the summer of 2021 that led to the creation of her company’s DEI North Star and Strategy.
Sarah Trahern currently serves as CEO of the Country Music Association, the premier trade organization for the country music industry. She helms the organization’s 3 acclaimed network television properties—CMA Fest, CMA Country Christmas, and the CMA Awards—and serves as president of the CMA Foundation, which funds meaningful music education initiatives across the country. Beginning her career at C-SPAN in Washington, DC, Trahern moved to Nashville in 1995, where she made stops at The Nashville Network (TNN) and Great American Country (GAC) before joining CMA.
Steve Brophy serves as VP of Public Policy and Government Affairs for Dollar General, where he routinely engages with elected officials and bureaucrats at all levels of government. Brophy’s 2-decade career in Washington, DC, includes roles as everything from federal investigator to policy analyst to U.S. Senate staffer to chief of staff for a member of Congress. Vanderbilt’s Executive MBA has been an important catalyst for expanding Brophy’s understanding and engaging with external stakeholders on public policy issues related to Dollar General, industry, and broader business.
11
Why Vanderbilt: Leadership Development
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
WITH A PERSONALIZED Become the leader you desire to be.
We believe understanding your talents and recognizing undeveloped areas that may need bolstering set the foundation to help you achieve your career and personal goals. The Vanderbilt Executive MBA approach to your development is comprised of 3 pillars: individual leader development, career management, and the C-Team experience. Tailored and personalized to you, our approach has one goal: to help you develop your individual capacity as a leader, no matter what function, industry, or current role you have (or desire). For each pillar, you have access to coaching resources that support you and help you gain insight to facilitate the process and challenge your thinking.
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CAREER MANAGEMENT
APPROACH. C-TEAM EXPERIENCE
COACHING RESOURCES
INDIVIDUAL LEADER DEVELOPMENT 13
Why Vanderbilt: Individual Leader Development
D ON’T J U S T L E A R N B U SINE S S . LEARN TO LEAD.
Being a business leader is more than mastering business fundamentals. That’s why we go beyond other programs to help our students understand, develop, and refine their own leadership styles to manage projects and lead teams. Through our top-tier Leadership Development Program, you’ll have your own personal executive coach, plus an assessment used by Fortune 500 companies. Your executive coach can help you see your leadership traits and natural tendencies from a different perspective. Understanding your leadership style will expand your individual capacity as a leader now and into the future. Here, leadership learning is lifelong. Even after you earn your MBA, you’ll have ongoing access to executive coaching and tools as you progress in your career.
“You will be challenged and will discover and develop skills you did not have or did not know you had. You will also have a lot of fun in the process.”
CARLOS SANCHEZ Executive Director, Global Quality and Program Management Dura Automotive Systems VA N D E R B I LT E X E C U T I V E M B A
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6 Months: You Choose Your Timing One-on-One Coaching 5 Sessions with Executive Coach n
n
Provides you with the space to reflect, explore, and discover Holds you accountable for action toward your leadership goals
+
Diagnostic Tools (used by Fortune 500 companies) Hogan Assessment n Personal assessment to help you gain insights into strengths and challenges
=
New Leadership Mindset and Habits Continue Your Leadership Journey n Integrate your learning and practice in real time during the program (in the classroom and on your team), on the job, and in your personal life n
Utilize your new perspective to hone and improve your leadership style
To learn more about our distinctive Leadership Development program, please visit: business.vanderbilt.edu/emba/leadership-development/
15
Why Vanderbilt: Career Management
CAREER MANAGEMENT TH R O U G H O U T Y O U R C A R E E R . Wherever you’re aspiring to go in your career, our career management team is here to help you get further, faster. If your aim is to rise higher in your current organization, our career resources and coaching are designed to teach you career enhancement and advancement. If your aim is to find new opportunities elsewhere, our team can show you how to make yourself more marketable to employers and teach you to navigate the job search.
“My company was in a transitional period, and I was nearing the completion of my MBA, which was the perfect timing to look for career growth opportunities. The career management team set me up for success with resume and interview preparation support and advice tailored to my circumstances.”
RACHEL KIPPENBROCK Senior Director, Canada Topline Franchise Support Marriott International VA N D E R B I LT E X E C U T I V E M B A
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10K+ Vanderbilt Business alumni will be in your career network from day one
Career coaching is more than updating your resume and LinkedIn profile. We can help you explore: What do I want to do with my MBA? n n n
Do I want to move to the next level in my career? Do I want to make a career switch? What do MBA careers look like?
How do I conduct a successful job search? n n n
What does a successful job search strategy look like? How do I conduct industry research? How can I leverage the Vanderbilt Business network?
Do I have marketable job search tools? n n
What is my personal brand? Is my brand reflected in all of my job search channels: resume, LinkedIn, and other communications?
What career resources does Vanderbilt’s Executive MBA program provide? n n n n
One-on-one career coaching Beyond B-School tip sheets and videos LinkedIn Guys Missing Manual Career assessments, resume samples, career webinars, and more
As alumni of Vanderbilt Business, you have access to coaching and resources for the duration of your career.
17
Why Vanderbilt: The C-Team Experience
WHO COMPRISES A VANDERBILT C-TEAM? Each C-Team is made up of 4 to 5 individuals who bring a diverse set of skills and experiences to the table. The diversity comes not only in job function and industry, but in age, gender, ethnicity, and more. It’s those unique backgrounds that create the ideal opportunity to maximize the learning experience. Intended to simulate a real-world corporate C-Suite team, the Executive MBA C-Team becomes a supported “learning lab,” in which members can draw on the expertise of the team while stretching to reach their own leadership potential. It’s the reason our alums often say they learn as much from their peers as from our world-class faculty.
Megan Flynn
Director of Customer Growth and Retention Marketing AT&T Dallas, TX
Eddie Kahle
Marketing Lead Syngenta Omaha, NE
CMO Marketing
Scott McMahan
Commercial Marketing Program Manager Medtronic Denver, CO
Sales Business Development
C-Team
CEO Law
Medicine Entrepreneurship Bettie Kirkland
CEO Project Return Nashville, TN
CHRO Human Resources
Lorena Castro
Trey Lee
HR Business Partner - Digital Power and Power Systems Schneider Electric Nashville, TN
Kiffany Peggs
VP of Human Resources Groundworks Virginia Beach, VA
President and CMO Real Time Tele-Epilepsy Consultants Nashville, TN
Adam Currie
Medical Director, LTSS UnitedHealth Group Nashville, TN
Mollie Saunders
Senior Director Willis Towers Watson Nashville, TN 18 Vanderbilt Executive MBA
Ricardo Quiroga Vice President, Supply Chain CEMEX USA Houston, TX
COO
Operations Engineering Process Control
Clarence Price
Contract Specialist General Services Administration Nashville, TN
Kathleen Brock
Senior Specialist, Dam Safety Policy Tennessee Valley Authority Lookout Mountain, TN
Austin Moss
Controller The ICEE Company Nashville, TN
CFO Finance
Accounting Banking Wealth Management
Christina Mosser
Private Wealth Advisor Morgan Stanley Knoxville, TN
Scooter Kramer
Manager, Corporate Planning Bridgestone Americas Nashville, TN
Daniel Cecalacean
Sr. Manager, Product and Strategy Opengear Salt Lake City, UT
CIO Information
Technology Data Architecture
Surabhi Khanna
Senior Director, Planning of Services and Product Development MEDHOST Franklin, TN
Motohiro Yoshikawa
Senior Manager, Board of Directors Office Nissan Yokohama, Japan
CPA, CFA, PMP, JD, Series 7, MD & PHD:
Just a few of the professional designations and graduate degrees held by our Executive MBA students.
19
Why Vanderbilt: EMBA Faculty
ALL WORLD-CLASS BUSINESS SCHOOLS HAVE GREAT PROFESSORS.
OURS WILL KNOW YOU BY NAME. Our faculty are renowned as researchers, scholars, practitioners, and teachers. But what sets them apart from other top business school faculty is their friendliness, helpfulness, and down-to-earth accessibility. When you have questions or need guidance, their doors are always open. Those close relationships don’t end when you leave here. Even years after graduation, it’s not uncommon for our Executive MBA alumni to call professors for advice. One thing students consistently tell us they love most about Vanderbilt Business is the opportunity to build long-term relationships with faculty—how many top B-schools can say that? That’s just how we do business. Once you’re here, you’re part of the Vanderbilt family.
4
#
Best Professors (The Princeton Review 2022)
20 Vanderbilt Executive MBA
JOSH WHITE Assistant Professor of Finance
Professor White teaches Managerial Finance and Corporate Financial Policy for the MBA and Executive MBA programs. He worked as a financial economist for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Josh brings a wealth of regulatory experience to his research and the classroom. His work has been featured in a variety of finance and accounting journals, including the Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of Accounting & Economics, The Accounting Review, Journal of Corporate Finance, and Journal of Banking & Finance.
DAWN IACOBUCCI
MUMIN KURTULUS
E. Bronson Ingram Professor of Management in Marketing
Associate Professor of Operations Management
Professor Iacobucci has consulted for top multinational corporations, including Cisco, Merck, Yamaha, Procter & Gamble, and Hewlett-Packard. She was the editor of the Journal of Consumer Research and the Journal of Consumer Psychology. She also serves on the editorial boards of several journals. Professor Iacobucci served as senior associate dean at Owen from 2008 to 2010.
An award-winning teacher, Professor Kurtulus’ research explores the effectiveness of various retail supply chain practices. His operations management courses focus on questions related to design, management, and execution of processes in service and manufacturing organizations. He currently teaches operations management classes in the MBA and Executive MBA programs at Owen.
21
Why Vanderbilt: Choose Your Track
ONE WORLD-CL ASS MBA . T WO UNIQUE WAYS TO EARN IT. The Vanderbilt Executive MBA program offers you two tracks in your second year. In the Executive Edge Track, go beyond business theory to immerse yourself in the kinds of high-level work that business leaders take on. Working with your cross-functional C-Team, you’ll gain the skills required to launch a new business and develop growth strategies for existing ones. In the Global Immersion Track, you’ll work on cross-cultural teams with students from 4 dynamic economies, explore new cultures, and appreciate the nuances of doing business globally. You and your team will complete a Capstone Strategy Project to help a multinational company solve a specific international business challenge. You will be prepared for international leadership responsibilities anywhere in the world.
F E AT U R E S
COMMITMENT
Both tracks give you practical experiences you won’t find elsewhere. You will graduate with an MBA that is respected around the world.
FA C U LT Y
Year One: Foundational Year Two: Focused on your track Both tracks have an international residency component.
22 Vanderbilt Executive MBA
DEGREE
EXECUTIVE EDGE TR ACK
GLOBAL IMMERSION TR ACK
For those who want to focus on developing leadership and strategic skills and the advanced financial acumen necessary to drive organizational performance.
For those with global responsibilities or those aspiring to take on cross-border assignments in their next role.
Cross-functional team projects
Cross-functional and cross-cultural team projects
International residency
4 in-country immersions
Creating and Launching New Ventures Project
Creating and Launching New Ventures Project
Domestic Capstone Strategy Project
International Capstone Strategy Project
Vanderbilt Leadership Development Program
Vanderbilt Leadership Development Program
Vanderbilt Career Management Services
Vanderbilt Career Management Services
YEAR ONE:
YEAR ONE:
One week in residence; alternating Saturdays
One week in residence; alternating Saturdays
YEAR TWO:
YEAR TWO:
Two 3-day weekends; alternating Saturdays
Three 9-day international residencies and One 9-day domestic residency
One week international residency
Four weeks required, plus travel
Renowned Vanderbilt faculty
Vanderbilt MBA
Vanderbilt and partner-school international experts
Vanderbilt MBA Certificate from 4 Americas Alliance Schools
23
Your Experience: Year One
NEW PROGRAM. N E W O P P O R T U N I T I E S. NEW NETWORK.
N E W H A R M O N Y. 24 Vanderbilt Executive MBA
Your Vanderbilt MBA experience opens with an intensive, weeklong residency in historic New Harmony, Indiana. There, you’ll begin immersing yourself in the curriculum. You’ll form bonds with classmates—including the members of your cross-functional C-Team—that will last throughout your career. During your week-in-residence, you’ll disconnect from the demands of your daily routine and acclimate to being a student again.
No other Executive MBA program offers a kickoff experience like this.
“Truthfully, you don’t really know what to expect coming into this Executive MBA program. New Harmony is the perfect way to break the ice by putting you back into a classroom mindset and providing the opportunity to create what genuinely become lifelong bonds with your classmates. The experience you have will set an exceptional foundation from which to build over the course of the program.” SCOTT McMAHAN Commercial Marketing Program Manager Medtronic VA N D E R B I LT E X E C U T I V E M B A
25
Your Experience: Year One
B UIL D T HE NE X T P H A SE OF Y O UR C A R EER ON A S T RONG F O UND AT ION . During the first year of the program, all of our students share the same curriculum on Saturdays. It’s comprehensive. It’s integrated. It’s highly pragmatic, focused on helping you gain a broader perspective on business enterprises and a global perspective on today’s business climate. Vanderbilt’s first-year curriculum equips you with a strong foundation on which you’ll build higher-level skills in leadership and strategy to give yourself an executive edge. Get the quantitative building blocks that enable you to understand the mechanics of business and ask the right questions to make informed decisions.
26 Vanderbilt Executive MBA
91
%
average salary increase within 10 years
“I couldn’t be happier with my decision. I have been impressed by the quality of the educational experience and dedication of the professors. The most valuable learning has come from my classmates. It was refreshing to be able to interact with such a talented, varied group of individuals.”
SHRIJI PATEL Associate Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs, Retina Fellowship Director Vanderbilt University Medical Center VA N D E R B I LT E X E C U T I V E M B A
27
Your Experience: Year Two – Executive Edge Track
P ICK UP W HER E MO S T E XEC U T I V E MB A P RO GR A MS L E AV E OFF. If you choose Vanderbilt’s Executive Edge Track, your curriculum in year 2 will focus on the strategic aspects of managing a successful organization in a competitive environment. You’ll take a deeper dive into such key areas as strategic alignment of human capital, negotiation, managing the global enterprise and risk, and corporate financial policy.
The yearlong strategy sequence begins with a comprehensive strategy course and culminates with 2 immersion that constitute the hallmarks of the Vanderbilt Executive MBA program.
1 2
Creating and Launching New Ventures. You and your C-Team will create and present a business plan, either for a startup or an expansion into new areas.
Capstone Strategy Project. You and your C-Team will integrate everything you’ve learned to build a strategic plan for a real client company.
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INTERNATIONAL RESIDENCY During this immersion experience, you will visit up to 10 corporations in the host country. There, you will meet with executives (often Vanderbilt Business alumni) to discuss global business challenges ranging from staffing and financial issues, to legal and political structures, economics, social customs, and career issues for expats. During the evenings, you and your classmates will experience the culture and cuisine of the host country. With input from students, our Executive Program team determines the location of each year’s international residency based on: n
relevance to the students in the class
n
access to Vanderbilt alumni and corporate executives
n
current political and economic events
29
Your Experience: Year Two – Executive Edge Track
EMBA STUDENTS HELP THE NASHVILLE SOUNDS DEVELOP DATA-DRIVEN MARKETING THROUGH CAPSTONE PROJECT. One of the most distinctive experiences in year 2 of the Executive Edge Track is a Capstone Strategy Project, a total immersive experience in which you and your C-Team apply and integrate all of the tools and concepts you’ve learned to date. Working directly with the executive team of a business client facing real challenges, you and your team will analyze the situation as part of a project with welldefined parameters and make recommendations to the organization’s leadership about strategies for moving forward.
Project:
The capstone team used data analysis and market research to devise customer outreach strategies for the minor league baseball team
Project Perspective: Scooter Kramer (Vanderbilt EMBA, Executive Edge) Manager, Corporate Planning at Bridgestone Americas
30 Vanderbilt Executive MBA
“The Capstone class gave our team the chance to work with a highly visible client in Nashville and gain real-world experience. The opportunity to see our work used by the Sounds was very rewarding.”
SCOOTER KRAMER
The Origins Scooter Kramer, a self-proclaimed data nerd and former baseball intern, proposed a capstone project idea that centered around data from the Nashville Sounds’ ticket sales and compared their marketing practices to those of other successful minor league teams. Kramer had connections with the Nashville Sounds’ general manager and COO at the time, who was interested in pursuing the idea.
The Project The EMBA capstone team—which included Scooter Kramer, Emily Deal, Brian Martin, Ian Morrison, and Anna Myint—built a predictive regression model that anticipates what attendance should be based on the day of the week, the time of the game, and weather reports. The model helps the Sounds better staff the stadium for an improved fan experience and make strategic ticketing price decisions. The team discovered that neither giveaway promotions nor conflicts with major events like the CMAs or Predator playoff games had much effect on attendance. This suggests that the Sounds have a strong fan base with a specific interest in baseball. The capstone team used that information, along with some benchmarking, to recommend a broader range of season passes. The capstone team also made recommendations about the Sounds’ email marketing. Morrison, who has a background in strategic communications, contributed key insights about simplifying emails and creating customer personas. The team coupled these practices with the data to propose customized email experiences. The capstone team used the data to improve the Sounds’ dynamic ticket pricing and recommend some targeted marketing approaches.
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Your Experience: Year Two – Executive Edge Track
T W O W E E KS I N TH E L I F E O F MADHU MURPHY WEEK ONE Sunday A good day to relax and be with family. My husband and I pick up my mother-in-law, attend church, and enjoy lunch.
Everyone’s busy. Here’s an example of how one of our Executive MBA students fits it all in. Meet Madhu Murphy. As a pediatric intensivist and an assistant professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and also as a wife, mother, and grandparent, Dr. Madhu Murphy wore many hats during her time in the Executive MBA program. How did she manage to add school on top of an already busy schedule? Here’s a glimpse at a typical 2 weeks.
Monday I get to the hospital at 7:00AM and leave at 6:45PM. I communicate with my C-Team throughout the day using Slack to keep in touch and keep projects moving. On my commute home, I make sure to speak with my mom, friends, and family. In the evening, I carve out an hour for readings and work on assignments for the following week.
WEEK TWO Sunday–Monday Week 2 is dedicated to less work at the hospital, more time for school. Sundays are similar to week one. After church and lunch, I spend the afternoon doing school work, then join my husband for dinner. Monday, we have our grandson all day. He makes an occasional appearance on my C-Team evening calls, and he likes to say hi.
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Tuesday–Thursday I work 2 night shifts 5:00PM to 7:00AM at VUMC. This week, we have a big strategy assignment due, and we are meeting more frequently in the evenings, either in person or on the phone.
Tuesday–Thursday Starting at 7:00AM, I am at the hospital all day. If I have an hour or 2 of down time at the hospital, I make sure to read or complete small assignments. My husband is a firefighter, so our schedules don’t always align. When our 24-hour work schedules collide, our dog stays with my mother-in-law, so I may run over to get the dog and check on her after leaving the hospital. On one of those nights, I work with my C-Team. We meet for dinner or have a conference call to work on projects due the following week. We typically work from 7:00PM until 10:00PM.
Friday–Saturday Friday I have an extended shift, starting at 7:00AM and finishing about 30 hours later on Saturday morning. Once home, I eat and nap until 2:30PM. My husband and I usually try to do an activity together—like going to Costco, running errands, or grabbing coffee at Starbucks. Something to get me upright and out of the house after the overnight shift! Saturday evenings we spend time quietly at home with family.
“The program has literally changed my life—given me confidence to redirect my career and helped me to feel valuable again. It has made me more resilient at work and better at my job, while exposing me to new ideas, places, and people.”
MADHU MURPHY Sr Medical Advisor, Accelerated R&D Leadership Program Eli Lilly and Company VA N D E R B I LT E X E C U T I V E M B A (EXECUTIVE EDGE TRACK)
Friday–Saturday During the weeks I have class, I make sure I’m off from the hospital on Friday and spend most of my time at home finishing assignments and preparing for class. On Saturdays, I arrive to class at 7:00AM. The long day in class has a completely different rhythm than the long days at the hospital; I learn so much from my professors and classmates that the time flies by. When class ends at 6:30PM, my husband and I head downtown to the Monster Truck Jam. It’s a great way to connect and reset for the next 2 weeks.
Note: Madhu shared her experience while she was in the Executive MBA program and working as a pediatric intensivist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
33
Your Experience: Year Two – Global Immersion Track
F O UR D Y N A MIC EC ONOMIE S . ONE UNR I VA L ED GL OB A L MB A . In Vanderbilt’s Global Immersion Track, you don’t merely observe global business. You immerse yourself in it. In year 2, you will embark on the Global Immersion Track (Americas MBA for Executives), in partnership with 4 international schools. During 4 week-long residencies in Brazil, Mexico, Canada, and the United States—the largest economies in this hemisphere—you’ll develop an understanding of what drives success in these countries and the ways business and people are interconnected within the region. Your cross-cultural team in year 2 will include classmates from each country. With the oversight of a regional in-country faculty member, your team will embark on a yearlong Capstone Project in which you will advise a company on a strategic business challenge in the Americas, giving you the opportunity to work in global virtual teams and to apply your academic curriculum throughout the year. This unique experience gives you an unparalleled opportunity to explore each country’s people, politics, culture, and business dynamics, exposing you to issues to consider and questions to ask regarding any international business undertaking.
You will participate in an International Capstone Project in each residency.
34 Vanderbilt Executive MBA
WHERE YOU’LL GO
Vancouver Simon Fraser University Beedie School of Business (SFU): a Canadian leader in global business teaching and research
Mexico City Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM): named the best business school in Latin America
São Paulo Fundação Instituto de Administração (FIA): an Executive MBA program ranked by a number of leading international publications as among the best in the world
Nashville Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management: globally recognized as one of the country’s top business schools
Courses: Cross-Cultural Management Global Strategy
Courses: International Competitiveness Family Business Governance
Courses: Corporate Social Responsibility Strategic Management for Emerging Markets
Courses: Creating and Launching New Ventures Global Innovation Strategy
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Your Experience: Year Two – Global Immersion Track
HO W A T E A M OF S T UDEN T S L A UNCHED A L INE OF ORG A NIC VA C CINE S A S PA R T OF A VA NDER BILT E XEC U T I V E MB A C O UR SE . Similar to the Executive Edge track, during year 2 of the Vanderbilt Executive MBA program, students from the Global Immersion track will participate in a course called Launching the Venture. In the class, student teams develop a business plan for a startup or an expansion into new areas and present their ideas to venture capital firms for financing. Here are some highlights of one such project from the perspective of the student whose idea became the foundation for a new venture.
Project:
The capstone team developed and marketed organic vaccines
Idea Generator:
Aaron Laviana (Vanderbilt EMBA, Global Immersion) Urologic Oncologist at the University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical Center
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“The diversity of backgrounds, experience, and intangible skillsets allowed us to work harmoniously together and create a product we were incredibly proud of.”
AARON LAVIANA
Aaron Laviana worked as a resident physician at UCLA and then became a fellow at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center before deciding to enroll in business school. While he was at UCLA, he noticed that there was a trend of people choosing organic food and products. He also had detailed conversations with people who were anti-vax and came to the realization that the reason why many of them were against vaccines was usually the products inside the vaccines, rather than the shots themselves. Laviana combined his observations and came up with an idea of creating vaccines made out of only organic ingredients. He was able to further explore this idea through the Launching the Venture class, which is taught during year 2 to students in both the Executive Edge and Global Immersion tracks. Along with his Global Immersion track teammates Esteban Tirado, Pete Koat, Heathie Cox, and Bruna Mendes, Laviana created Clean Vax, a business that provides organic vaccines. Creating an organic vaccine and marketing it was a unique idea for the Launching the Venture class. The Clean Vax team immersed themselves into intensive research and networking to develop Laviana’s idea. By collaborating with Creative Biolabs, the team was successful in developing a vaccine from organic products. Although Laviana was the only student with a background in medicine, the rest of the team provided the business knowledge to help make Clean Vax a reality. “Everyone contributed in a totally unique way. So in order for the project to be successful you need market research, financial modeling, figure out a way to get partners, do our management risk, strategy planning, do our persona-based marketing,” Laviana explained. Looking forward, the next step for Clean Vax is to acquire the finances to purchase vaccines and launch their business.
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Your Experience: Year Two – Global Immersion Track
N I N E D AY S I N TH E LIFE OF ALAN MYERS
Alan Myers chose the Global Immersion Track for several reasons. First, he believed that a deeper understanding of international business would help him in his career. Second, it would be easier on his family for him to be gone 4 times for a long week than for him to commute from Memphis to Nashville every other weekend. Here’s how Alan describes the typical routine during his immersion experience in Mexico City.
Saturday-Sunday
Friday Mexico City is only 2 short flights from Tennessee, and I am able to leave home Friday morning and arrive early afternoon. Once I land, I head directly to ITAM (Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México—our partner school) for a working lunch with my team members. In the late afternoon, we meet more formally with our Capstone Project faculty. Later that night, we reconnect with all of our classmates at a welcome dinner at a fantastic restaurant with an authentic Mariachi band. Having an immersion experience in January also allows us to escape Nashville’s winter, and it’s great to be in Mexico with the sunshine and pleasant temperatures.
The weekend is spent primarily with our teams and capstone coaches finalizing our Capstone Project, which we will present to our client in about one month. When we are not at a residency, we work on the capstone remotely, so having this in-person time to finalize our deliverables is very valuable. It’s not all work though. On Saturday afternoon, the cohort heads to the Teotihuacan Pyramids, which is an incredible cultural experience. And after our team meetings on Sunday, students organize a river boat cruise, which is relaxing and a lot of fun.
Monday During the week, we have class from 8:30AM to 5:30PM. Our classes during this residency focus on family businesses and international competitiveness. The faculty at ITAM are awesome, and I am learning so much from them. We have a guest lecturer today, the CIO from Cinépolis movie theaters, who discusses strategy surrounding upscale movie theaters. It’s fascinating! This evening, our team decides to visit a theater to see their business model firsthand and enjoy a movie. 38 Vanderbilt Executive MBA
Tuesday On Tuesday, we continue our classes, have lunch, and end the day by working on coursework with our team. The lunches here have been fantastic. The university prides itself on their dining facilities. They have an unbelievable chef and cooking team. We eat really well in Mexico!
Thursday-Friday We are back in class and work on group assignments with our teams. For one deliverable, we write about technology disruptions and another about pricing strategies. One of our Vanderbilt professors also comes down to Mexico City on Friday and kicks off his Nashville residency class on creating and launching new ventures. Since we will part ways tomorrow, the cohort decides to get together one last time, and we spend the evening at a Mexican wrestling match. This is a lot of fun and another great cultural experience.
Wednesday On Wednesday morning, we take a break from the classroom and go on a business visit to KidZania. All of us Americans have never seen anything like this before—impressed is an understatement. This interactive city teaches kids about business and careers via realistic role play. The facility is huge! What’s notable is that the CEO of KidZania personally meets with our group for over an hour. KidZania has operations in 21 countries, so we talk a lot about doing business internationally.
Saturday Class wraps up by noon, and we say our final goodbyes. Everyone is excited for our next (and final) residency in Nashville. I head to the airport and am home by early evening. It was a long 9 days, but the educational experience in this program has been incredible.
“The ITAM residency was a great experience. The ITAM students were fantastic hosts and welcomed us into their culture.”
ALAN MYERS IT Director - Papers the Americas, IT Innovation, IT University, Enterprise Architecture International Paper VA N D E R B I LT E X E C U T I V E M B A ( G LO B A L I M M E R S I O N T R AC K )
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Your Experience: Family Involvement
Y O U R FA M I LY I S PA RT O F O U R FA M I LY. Your family will be affected by your decision to pursue this career move. So, we make a point of involving and welcoming them from the get-go— starting with an invitation to spouses and partners to attend our initial information sessions. Once you enroll, your family becomes part of ours. Families are invited to cookouts, EMBA prom, and special family days. In these ways and many others, we help build a sense of community. That’s part of what we mean when we say we take business personally.
“The Vanderbilt EMBA program is a closeknit family consisting of faculty, staff, and students. We encourage each other through support and understanding while students pave their own unique paths towards success in the program.” M AT TH E W C OX Associate Director for Operations and Communications Vanderbilt Executive MBA Programs
12
babies are born to EMBA students in an average year
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30
%
of EMBA students commute to Nashville from other cities and states
This program is designed to help you enhance your career while you balance school, work, and your personal life.
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ARE YOU READY? The commitment to return to school as a working professional is a big one. You may have questions, such as: n Is it the right time in my career?
V A N D E R B I LT
THIS IS
n Is my employer ready? n Is my family ready? n Do I have the level of experience that makes me a good fit
for the program? n What is the workload like?
Through a personal consultation, we’ll help you think through all of these questions and more as you make your decision. We’ll help you approach your employer, too. In every way we can, we invest time and energy in your success— because we measure our own success by yours.
Prepping you for success. For many, the mathematical proficiency required for a world-class MBA program can seem intimidating—especially if you’ve been out of college for a while. The prospect of taking an assessment like the Executive Assessment or GMAT can seem daunting, too. Among the ways we invest in you is by offering assistance before the program starts, to help make sure you’re ready for success from day one. Depending on what you need, we offer online math modules and classroom-based math instruction. Similarly, for those whose native language is not English, we can offer assistance in preparing for the assessments.
Do I have to take an entrance exam? Every applicant is required to take either the Executive Assessment or the GMAT unless they have an existing admissible GMAT or GRE score. This is an important tool—for us and for you. Since so much of your work at Vanderbilt occurs in teams, this is one way we ensure that you’re surrounded by colleagues whose caliber will help you gain the most from your experience. Additionally, we can use this current evaluation of your academic readiness to guide your onboarding process, so when classes start, you can hit the ground running. Not sure which test is right for you? We’ll help you decide.
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We’re building a new type of business leader.
Vanderbilt exists for a certain type of student—the type that we think will change the world for the better. We’re the B-school built for the persistent. The genuine. The professional who knows he or she hasn’t heard it all before—and uses that humility to grow. To learn. To change. Where we come from, that’s called wisdom.
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We take business personally.
Most business schools place a big emphasis on numbers. Our passion is people. Talk to any Vanderbilt professor. Or student. Or staff member. Or alumnus. The first thing you’ll notice is a genuine desire to help each member of our community succeed. That isn’t accidental. In fact, it’s part of our collective DNA. An emphasis on each individual is something we’ll never lose.
BUSINESS®
WHAT WE DO. 2
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We solve problems collaboratively.
We lead with ideas, not egos.
Our culture is collaborative above all else. And that’s purposeful because the business world thrives on teamwork. Which is good, because working together is what makes us stand out.
It’s just in our character to believe that effort will always outdo entitlement. So while Vanderbilt Business graduates will proudly display their diplomas on their office walls, they’d much rather get down to business than talk about their pedigree.
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We are competitive, not cutthroat.
This, we believe, is our defining strength. Because while we live to prove ourselves by competing, we also know that winning doesn’t mean leaving others behind. At Vanderbilt, we grow the most when we learn from each other.
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We work harder than most. (And like it that way.) Knowledge is only half of the equation. Effort is just as essential. And it’s something that’s often overlooked at top schools. We fill our school with people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and do what it takes to get the job done. Going that extra mile is standard practice here, where the lights stay on late and the coffee brews before dawn. vii
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We dig deeper.
It starts with our faculty. You will find their work in top academic journals. But it doesn’t stop there. Their ideas and expertise spill over into the classroom and influence ever-evolving business beliefs and practices. This curiosity to stretch, learn, and grow is practiced by all members of the Owen community. Yes it’s extra effort. But the dividends are worth it.
8 We challenge the status quo.
Like many top business schools, we receive high marks and rankings. But that doesn’t mean we’re content. We’re constantly looking ahead. (It’s the best way not to get left behind.) We love to challenge assumptions. Many times we end up reinforcing long-held business rules. But often, we find a new way that’s different and better—and we find it first.
CONSIDER THIS YOUR PERSONAL INVITATION. Going back to school as a working professional is a big decision. If you are seriously considering an MBA, you undoubtedly have many questions. Hopefully, this brochure answers a few of them, and we are ready to help with the rest. We want to get to know you and your career aspirations to help you determine if now is the right time, and if this is the right place. If the Vanderbilt Executive MBA program is the right fit for you, we’ll help you through every step of the application process. That is our personal commitment to you.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A DIFFERENT KIND OF BUSINESS SCHOOL? It means being competitive without being cutthroat. It means digging deeper and working harder. It means embracing ideas, not egos. It means collaboration and connection. It means building a different kind of leader. Together.
Vanderbilt is proud to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Vanderbilt University is committed to principles of equal opportunity and affirmative action. Vanderbilt®, Vanderbilt University® and the Vanderbilt logos are trademarks of The Vanderbilt University. REV. 5/22
