The ExecMBA Podcast

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Alex Merida and Annette Stock. Alex and Annette are First Year students in the Executive MBA Class of 2023, and they have served as section representatives during their first year at Darden. We talk with Alex and Annette about how they decided to pursue an MBA, what led them to Darden and the impact of the program through their first few quarters. T...

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with True Overholt (EMBA ’18). True was a Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) format student in UVA Darden’s Executive MBA Class of 2018, and he has spent his career working for DKT International, a charitable non-profit organization that promotes family planning and HIV prevention through social marketing. After graduating from Darden, True moved to Paris to t...

In this conversation, we catch up with Mark Saylor. Mark is a graduate in Darden’s Executive MBA Class of 2021, and we recently connected with him via Zoom to discuss his MBA journey. Mark arrived at Darden with a deep background in marketing across a number of brands including Toys “R” Us, Frank’s RedHot and Capital One. He has recently taken on a new role as a senior brand manager with Farmer Fo...

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...

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 L...

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 conversa...

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...

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...

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 inte...

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 professionall...

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 w...

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 Navi...

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 this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Dr. Luqman “Luq” Dad (Class of 2022). Luq is a Radiation Oncologist in the Washington, DC area, and he is a second-year student in our Executive MBA Class of 2022. During this wide-ranging conversation, Luq shares insights about what led him to a general management MBA program, why Darden appealed to him and what the impact of the program has been f...

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Kate deLacy. Kate is a second year in our Executive MBA Class of 2022, and we recently connected with her via Zoom to talk about her MBA journey, what led her to Darden and much more. During this wide-ranging conversation, Kate reflects on moving from the restaurant world to the investment industry. She also shares insights about how her time in the...

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we share the ninth installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Casey Lichtendahl. Lichtendahl is a member of the Quantitative Analysis faculty and Co-Academic Director for the MS in Business Analytics program. He is also a Darden alumnus, and in this wide-ranging conversation, we talk w...

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we share the seventh installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Dan Murphy. Murphy is a member of the Global Economies and Market, and during this wide-ranging conversation, he touches upon everything from growing up in Denver and his twin passions for policy and economics to affordabl...

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Jonathan Vassil (EMBA ’18). During this conversation, Jonathan reflects upon his MBA journey, including why he was drawn to the case method and the educational experience at Darden. He also shares insights from his career, including his recent work as a SVP/GM at Toast, Inc.. Toast, a Software as a Service company focused on the restaurant industry,...

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we recap the recent Darden Diversity Conference! This year’s conference was hosted virtually, and it marked the fourth occasion of this annual event. We catch up with two students who served on the Diversity Conference planning committee – Full-Time MBA student Khaliyah Legette (Class of 2022) and Executive MBA student Chi Lo (Class of 202...

This weekend marks the occasion of Darden’s annual Diversity Conference! In this special episode of the ExecMBA Podcast, we share excerpts from some of our favorite conversations with Executive MBA student leaders from the past couple years. Featured organizations include the Network of Executive Women (NEW), the Black Executive MBA (BEMBA) student organization and the Executive MBA Diversity & In...

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Second Year Executive MBA student Colin Thomas (Class of 2022). During this conversation, Colin, a real estate entrepreneur, discusses his decision to pursue an MBA and how Darden, including his classmates, faculty, and coursework, have helped him as he has worked to launch and grow his venture.

In this episode of the podcast, we continue our spotlight on life outside the classroom in the Executive MBA program with a conversation all about the Executive MBA Venture Capital Club. A few months ago, we caught up with Barry Hartzberg (EMBA ’21) and Greg Benante (Class of 2022) to talk more about the Venture Capital Club – the club’s origins, the response from their classmates and the organiza...

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcasts, we share the seventh installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Ed Freeman. Freeman is a member of the Strategy, Ethics and Entrepreneurship faculty, and an academic director for UVA Darden’s Institute for Business in Society. We talk with Freeman and his background in philosophy, his...

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Andrew McCormack and John Schwartz, two second year students in our Executive MBA Class of 2022. Andrew and John are leaders of the Executive MBA Consulting Club, one of seven official Executive MBA student organizations. We talk with Andrew and John about their MBA journeys, what led them to Darden and what the Consulting Club has planned for the m...

In this special edition of the Admissions podcast, we welcome back Darden faculty member and friend of the pod Greg Fairchild. In this wide-ranging conversation, Fairchild shares insights about one of Darden’s newest scholarship initiatives – the Breakthrough Scholars Program – a scholarship offering focused on creating new opportunities for diverse candidates to thrive in fields of asset manageme...