Executive MBA Student Profiles

Describe the best part of your EMBA experience. The two global residency courses were the best part of my experience. Traveling across the world and tackling real issues that companies were facing was a transformative and rewarding experience. I could learn firsthand about global issues and decisions that face some of the largest corporations in the world.

When did you know that you made the right decision in coming to Georgetown? For me, I knew I had made the right decision about Georgetown when professors that I spoke with fully understood the government contracting industry. My firm provides services to both the U.S. federal government and the Bermudian government. My professors understood the geopolitical issues that face private companies that provide services to governments. This was the fit that I needed.

Describe the best part of your EMBA experience. I’ll never forget two courses that shaped my experience: “The Economics of Strategic Behavior” and “Business, Government, and the Global Economy.” These were the two courses that fueled my passion: the intersection of business and policy. The respective professors, Arthur Dong and Marc Busch, brought a passion for discussing recent business news in real time. The newsworthy and relevant dialogue pushed us to put ourselves in the shoes of business leaders in really dynamic times. Their strategic insights opened a window on how to approach current business challenges which I still use on a daily basis.

What impact did the EMBA program have on your career? I entered the EMBA program after nearly a decade of work experience that was reaching something of a growth ceiling. The work was fun but the runway for internal and external growth had narrowed. Georgetown’s EMBA program pushed me to think different, bigger, and more global. I find myself looking at everything, both personally and professionally, through a different lens. Just a year and a half after the program, I was offered the opportunity in a much larger, global firm to build an offering in corporate advocacy and grassroots. Georgetown’s EMBA program prepared me to leverage my new skills and relationships on a much larger scale, allowing me to service a growing base of clients around the globe.

When did you know that you made the right decision in coming to Georgetown? This may sound trivial but, while not a sports fan in the least, I’ll never forget the feeling of belonging and community when I walked into my first Georgetown basketball game with a group of EMBA classmates. The energy, excitement, and sense of community were infectious. We all arrived from different backgrounds and for different reasons, but we were on this journey and experience together. The sense of camaraderie and support was a sign that I made the right decision.

Describe the best part of your EMBA experience. The best part of my EMBA experience was being able to confidently apply theoretical principles learned in strategy, marketing, and operations courses to my day-to-day work in scaling a small but quickly growing business. The stellar faculty who led these courses, including Ella Washington and her negotiations class, helped equip me with the skills needed to elevate my career from a project manager to vice president during the program. One of the best and most enjoyable classes, albeit most challenging, was the entrepreneurship elective with Sandeep Dahiya. An absolute must for anyone interested in or actively pursuing their own venture!

What impact did the EMBA program have on your career? My undergraduate degree and my military education and training prepared me well for my career as a naval officer. As I prepared for my transition from the military, I pursued a Georgetown EMBA to prepare me for my second career. I retired from the Navy in 2014 after more than 24 years on active duty. The EMBA has helped immeasurably. It has opened doors for career opportunities I would not have had without my degree.

What was your experience like with your cohort? I had the opportunity to be part of two EMBA cohorts as a result of my deployment. Because we worked on teams from the very beginning of the program, we had the opportunity to get to know each other well. We learned our strengths and knew when we needed to back each other up to get our projects done on time. We relied on each other to successfully complete the program, and we learned as much about ourselves as we did about each other. Friday nights during class weekends and each of the residencies gave us a chance to bond outside the classroom as well. My classmates are like an extended family. Five years later, we still meet up, share our experiences on Facebook, and support each other in our careers.

What impact did the EMBA program have on your career? The program helped me grow professionally while providing a good combination of business tools with finance and marketing emphasis. It has been an amazing experience from being a consultant at one of the Big Four accounting companies to a senior sales strategist for a leading cybersecurity company, and now director of product and business development for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.

How did the EMBA program exceed your expectations?I was very impressed that from day one as EMBA students we had multiple opportunities to network with global business leaders in a variety of ways and industries. This included group projects, various alumni channels, access to industry career advisors and expert panels, all the way to speaker series on topics relevant to our studies. Being part of this program enabled me to create sustainable relationships that are not only key to my personal development but a key to my future career success.

What impact did the EMBA program have on your career? In the short-term, the impact has been noticeable, with an expanded, influential network and the ability to fall back on an increased knowledge base. I have found myself referring to coursework that is timely and relevant for today’s evolving markets.

Describe the best part of your EMBA experience. The most rewarding experience of my time at Georgetown was the South Korean residency and our Global Capstone to Buenos Aires. Both projects allowed me the chance to see parts of the world I had never experienced and also gain a better appreciation for how business is conducted in other parts of the globe. Our consulting project with a South Korean shipping company, Eukor, was by far the most interesting, challenging, and rewarding experience I had during the program. Presenting our findings to the senior management in Seoul and to see their engagement and reaction to our recommendations and findings was incredible.

What was your experience like with your cohort and how would you describe the diversity? The cohort was very diverse however it was my expectation going to a school as respected as Georgetown. My expectation was that I would come in contact with the best of all age groups, cultures, religions, and backgrounds. What I didn’t expect was to bond so deeply with people so different than me. I made two lifelong friends as a part of my time in the cohort who have very different backgrounds than I do. Almost daily we bounce career, family, and personal issues off each other. Meeting them has made me a better business person and man.

How have you stayed connected with Georgetown McDonough’s global network?The long process of collecting feedback to refine Patri’s offerings has come in part from the growing Georgetown McDonough global network. Visits back to the Washington, D.C., area have almost always included meetings with my EMBA colleagues to discuss our professional endeavors. I have also been proactive in connecting with and reaching out to Georgetown alumni over LinkedIn and through other social platforms to petition the same feedback and provide value to them as well.

What do you miss the most from your Georgetown experience? Without question, I miss associating daily with my Georgetown classmates, professors, and staff. They are some of the most capable and influential people I know, and I consider it a privilege any time I have a chance to reconnect. There is an incredible energy on campus that is difficult to replicate elsewhere, and I make it a point to visit every time I’m back in the area. Hoya Saxa!

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Describe the best part of your EMBA experience. Our residencies were the best part of the EMBA. What brought me the most satisfaction was getting to work with my classmates and getting to use our professional work experience as well as the business knowledge learned from class to resolve a real problem in the world.

What impact did the EMBA program have on your career? A challenge for a young female leader like myself is that as I move up the career ladder, I find few peers who share similar levels of responsibility and experience. The EMBA offered valuable relationships with older and younger leaders with whom I discuss ideas for resolving challenges and share professional opportunities.

What impact did the EMBA program have on your career? The EMBA has been a great asset for my career – certainly, the in-class instruction was high quality and builds out practical skills for the workplace. However, beyond that was developing a network of new colleagues and friends, as well as gaining a better understanding of different industries and issues, which yields from two years of conversations, cases, and the global perspective of Georgetown.

Describe the best part of your EMBA experience. The best part of the EMBA was the cohort itself. As for the courses, I think the variety of classes is a testament to Georgetown’s capable faculty and breadth of expertise. Marc Bush’s course on international trade and Jeff Peck’s strategic advocacy, in my mind, are unique offerings to Georgetown. However, the one that really stands out was Jeff Macher and John Mayo’s course on business and public policy. That class examined how markets and governments function, and our final deliverable was either defending or prosecuting one side of a DOJ antitrust case. It was a unique format for a “final” and definitely tapped into the competitiveness within our cohort.

Describe your experience with any career coaching you received during the program and how it has impacted your career. Georgetown’s career services team is a great asset to the program – I relied on Denise Durgin and the coaches for their wisdom and insight while making a career change during the second year of EMBA.

Describe the best part of your EMBA experience. In my view, the global diversity of real-life experiences which were imbedded within the EMBA program from both the faculty and fellow students was the best part of the program. The overall caliber of the faculty was so high that it’s difficult to single out a specific class or professor as my favorite; I view the value of the total program to be much greater than the sum of its parts.

When did you know that you made the right decision in coming to Georgetown? One day in class when we were deep into discussing global monetary policy and its impact on country-specific markets, current IMF employees, who were also students in my class, enriched the discussion from their unique perspective. Since they were immersed in the subject in their jobs, they could offer contextual insights that you just couldn’t get anywhere else. That moment confirmed that I had made the right decision to come to Georgetown for the EMBA program.

What impact did the EMBA program have on your career? The most life-changing class I had during the program was the strategic management course. I was able to take the frameworks he taught us to evaluate corporate decisions and apply it to my professional career. I was at a crossroads in my career and didn’t know if I wanted to stay in education technology or take a leap and join financial services. I couldn’t be happier with the decision I made to switch industries, and I credit the Georgetown EMBA program for providing me with the tools necessary to make the right decision.

What was your experience like with your cohort? I enjoyed my EMBA 22 cohort, we were like a family! I learned just as much from my classmates as I did from the professors. I’m still in touch with many of my classmates and have made lifelong friends from the program.

How did the EMBA program exceed your expectations? While going through the program you feel there is no way you will retain all of the knowledge given. I will say I was surprised by how much is retained and available for use, the number of situations I am able to apply what I learned, and the knowledge of how I would have approached the problem prior versus post EMBA.

Describe the best part of your EMBA experience. The best part of the experience is the cohort. More specifically, learning how your peers approach issues and problem-solving in unique situations, whether in competitive one-on-one negotiation simulations or forming responses to deliberately challenging issues posed by outside speakers and by each other.

What impact did the EMBA program have on your career? The EMBA experience has enhanced my career growth opportunities as well as added value to my professional skill set. But most importantly, during the program I was able to envision my career path and identify my passion as well as learn about my strengths and weaknesses. This has helped me to find the right career opportunities.

Describe the best part of your EMBA experience. At the very start of the program I have been focused on acquiring as many technical skills as possible — accounting, corporate finance, statistics, etc. During our Global Residency in South Korea, one of presenting speakers at Samsung mentioned that the most valuable lessons will be learned during behavioral science classes. It turned out to be true; classes like Ethical Leadership and Organizational Behavior have taught me invaluable leadership and communication skills.

Describe the best part of your EMBA experience. I really enjoyed the entrepreneurial practice module as it inspired me to think outside of the box. Although it was just a module, we treated it as a real business, and came up with lots of ideas. The module taught not only academic theories, but also provided practical exercises in preparation of our final presentations.

What impact did the EMBA program have on your career? My MBA was pivotal in helping me achieve my career goals. It helped me facilitate a career change into a different profession completely with my current employer.

When did you know that you made the right decision in coming to Georgetown? I knew I made the right decision with Georgetown in my first month of the program. The cohort was diverse with highly talented professionals from all walks of life, from various industries and many international backgrounds. Georgetown’s faculty is world-class, and the quality of academic instruction regarding global business and leadership was beyond top-notch. Moreover, I learned so much from working with my fellow students because I cultivated and improved my ability to lead and collaborate. I knew right away that Georgetown’s MBA program was the right fit and it was undoubtedly the bridge that transitioned me from an engineer and soldier to a corporate executive.

What impact did the EMBA program have on your career? Tremendous impact. The EMBA program is recognized for the Georgetown name and the reputation of the business school, as well as the degree of difficulty and challenge of the program. Graduating from the EMBA program while working full time signaled to future employers my ability to successfully manage a heavy workload and lead challenging projects.

What was your experience like with your cohort?The cohort was extremely diverse and well rounded, with a rich mix of professionals from various background and industries. My cohort allowed for varied and deep conversation surrounding not only the curriculum but also work and experience. Definitely a key benefit of the EMBA program is this network, and yes – we still maintain regular communication with one another.

What was your experience with your cohort like and how would you describe the diversity? As an immigrant in the U.S. coming from Lebanon, it always felt like something was amiss connecting with the culture and D.C. community around me. As If I was missing a footing in being part of a family in the United States. My Georgetown EMBA cohort and community became that family and gave me a sense of home away from home. It was great to build relationships with intellectual executives that I call my friends now. Being able to lean onto each other for advice or counsel might be the greatest gift any program can deliver. A cohort of diverse individuals from all walks of life shared their experiences and enhanced the learnings tenfold.

Describe a residency project that you worked on. What did it entail? How did it impact you? As part of our capstone project, we could give back to the community here in D.C. as traveling was restricted due to COVID. We partnered with Mamatoto Village, which serves Black women by creating career pathways in maternal health; and providing accessible perinatal support services. Leveraging resources from within Georgetown and our own networks, our team delivered meaningful support to their team by devising new ways to leverage technology to enhance their processes. It was a fantastic experience and one that I am very proud of.

Describe a residency project that you worked on.My group worked on a U.S. market entry strategy for a Turkish hosiery and lingerie company. We spent months researching and putting together a plan. As part of our residency, we traveled to Istanbul and presented our plan to their CEO and senior management. To get that real-life, hands-on experience was challenging and exhilarating at the same time.

What was your experience like with your cohort? Our cohort was one of the best things about this experience. Over 20 months, you build a bond through the work and experiences that you just can’t replicate anywhere else. It’s a diverse group, so there are many perspectives and each person has their strengths. You learn to work together in ways that really test you and challenge your thinking. And of course, I made friends and professional connections that will last me a lifetime. I keep in touch with many of them.

What impact did the EMBA program have on your career? The EMBA program came at a critical time in my career. I began the program as I transitioned from serving as an Active Duty Air Force Officer and began working in federal consulting. For me, the EMBA program represented an important educational component to my career course change. Since I knew I wanted to eventually move to non-federal consulting, I saw the Georgetown EMBA program as a perfect transition program for me mid-career. It prepared me to make a major career move and is has allowed me to succeed in the business world both as a small business owner and now as a member of a technology company.

What was your experience like with your cohort?I was one of a handful of career military or veterans in the cohort. The opportunity to get to know the members of my cohort who came from different backgrounds was life-changing for me. We have a deeply diverse group, and I keep in touch with many of my fellow cohort members and continue to learn so much from them. We are a talented group who balanced personal growth and ambition with a strong sense of teamwork that we allow to guide us.

What impact did the EMBA program have on your career? The EMBA Program was very instrumental in helping me build the company. It exposed me to all aspects of business from corporate finance, accounting, marketing, etc. that I was always able to dip into as needed.

What was your experience like with your cohort?One of the main values out of the programs was my peers. You learn and lean on them so much. When I started the company I had to take advice from some of my cohort members who were experts in certain areas like marketing or operations. In fact one of them is part of my management team now.

How did the EMBA program exceed your expectations? It did so in many ways. Some of the professors were extremely dedicated and took a personal interest in our success. The international residencies were real-life projects that allowed us to apply all the skills we learned. But best of all are the deep and meaningful relationships I created with my cohort, professors, staff, and alumni.

When did you know that you made the right decision in coming to Georgetown? For me it wasn’t one Eureka moment but a series of moments, each one led to a better understanding of the business environment. But if I had to single out one of my earliest moments, it was the Microeconomics class with Professor Macher. It completely changed the way I listen to and read the news.

What impact did the EMBA program have on your career? The EMBA Program has had a tremendous impact on my career. Not only did the skills, knowledge, and confidence I gained during EMBA propel me higher in my previous organization, my EMBA cohort — a network second to none — has been my ultimate cheerleader and led me to my role with Amtrak today.