Newest Executive MBA Class Recognized at Vanderbilt’s Owen Graduate School of Management

Vanderbilt’s Owen Graduate School of Management on Saturday, July 23, recognized fifty students for completing the two-year Executive MBA program.

Vanderbilt Executive MBA students typically arrive with an average of 12 years of experience and represent a broad spectrum of backgrounds from mid- to senior-level corporate executive to entrepreneurs to professionals such as accountants, attorneys and physicians, to managers in technological or scientific fields. As William Thomas, an executive at Bridgestone Americas put it: “I arrived to be a better business man, but I’ve become a better person.”

Intense, real-world projects as part of “C-teams” allow EMBA students to immediately apply their classroom learning while working closely with their peers. The July 23 celebration provided an opportunity for each student to show appreciation for family, friends and employers who supported and encouraged them during the two-year journey to an MBA.

In all about 400 people were there to send our students out in style. Alex Nicholson, EMBA 2001, was the presenter and the lead donor among 8 alumni who contributed to give a Vanderbilt blazer to each member of the EMBA Class of 2011 to celebrate their joining the ranks of alumni. Other contributors included: Nancy Abbott EMBA ’91, Nelson Andrews EMBA 2001, Michael Blackburn EMBA 1994, Dr. Ravi Chari EMBA 08, Doug Howard EMBA ’85, Henry Lodge EMBA ’81, Kent Wood EMBA ’00, and MBA ’82 graduate Jon Caplan, as CEO Brand Group and President, Johnston & Murphy, for producing the blazers and a gift card from J&M. Don’t they look fantastic? Way to go EMBA 2011!