EMBA - A Personal and Professional Boost Prior to obtaining her EMBA at Owen, Corbette was an insurance broker and consultant. After graduation, she moved from a staff and individual client role to a senior management role where she grew Aon’s healthcare industry revenue base from $40 million to $200 million in seven years. Her advice to others considering an EMBA degree?
"Don’t pursue an EMBA strictly for career advancement unless you are on a dead end path or want a drastic career change. If you are happy with your company and career path, pursue the degree for personal development reasons as much as for a career boost."
Taking the Opportunity to Give Back Throughout his busy career, Ron Ford has taken time to give back to Vanderbilt. He served on the Owen Alumni Board for 11 years, including a stint as president. During that time, he interacted with the Vanderbilt Alumni Board, becoming a member a few years ago. He assumed president of that group in October and became a member of the Vanderbilt Board of Trust in April, an honor that he says, "is more than his dream come true."
"Owen changed my life. I wouldn’t be where I am today if the late dean Marty Geisel hadn’t taken a chance on me."
Fulfilling Experience "The experience at Owen was incredibly fulfilling. Having been out of school for more than 10 years, I was concerned whether or not I could adjust to the environment. Quite the contrary, I was soon asking why I didn’t do it sooner. It was amazing how much of the course material I was able to use immediately. I had initially thought it would be nearly impossible to carry a full schedule in addition to work and family, but I learned how much you can squeeze into your life. In fact, Owen enriched my life and made me realize how much more to life there can be."
Challenging yet Collaborative "I wanted to be challenged and I have been from day one. The faculty’s excitement about the material they were teaching was surprising. I think each of them truly believes that what’s being taught is the most important thing a student needs to learn to be successful in a career. The students, while competitive, are willing to help one another. The faculty are challenging, but they treat you as a peer and are interested in what you do professionally or how they can help you grow. Before finishing the first semester, I was already able to apply things I had learned to my job, including negotiating techniques and statistical analysis."
Jump to Management "I had been working as a Product Engineer for eight years and was ready to take the next step in my career. I had been overlooked for a management position for not having the required experience. Completing my MBA at Vanderbilt gave me the experience and recognition I needed to make that crucial jump into the management world."
Becoming More Effective "I have responsibility for sales, marketing, pricing, and negotiating contracts for Orchid. The marketing and sales concepts I learned at Owen give me the ability to better present Orchid within the parameters of what our customers need. I learned financial analysis tools that allow me to better understand how new work will affect our business, and I can translate that information through the organization for better management. The negotiating skills I gained at Owen showed me how to better understand my customers’ needs so that we work together in order to strengthen both companies."
Classrooms Come Alive "It was such a wonderful experience being in a classroom with ambitious, self-motivated, talented colleagues. The professors engaged the students with genuine business knowledge. Having these true business examples made the classroom come alive. The classroom experience - interacting with both students and professors - far exceeded my expectations. The conversations were lively and applicable to my everyday business life. It was exciting to learn from students and professors, then immediately apply this knowledge to do my job. The Vanderbilt Executive MBA program is a great place to open your world to modern business ideas, objectives, and goals. It teaches new ways to think, to learn, and to apply knowledge immediately in your daily business. It’s a great place for colleagues to learn business strategies that make a difference."
Eclectic Excellence "Eclectic excellence is what Owen offers - classmates from a wide background and classes covering a broad range of business subjects. The Vanderbilt MBA lets you broaden your business perspective, establish a network of new friends and future business associates, and get the tools you need to do whatever and go wherever you desire."
