| The EMBA remains
an instrument of choice for both participants and employers,
ensuring both accelerated personal and professional development,
as well as enhanced corporate performance. Hina Gonfreville
presents the basics of the EMBA program.
Up until 2008, the demand for the EMBA program has consistently
risen, and a growing number of schools, including Cambridge
University’s Judge Business School, Cass Business
School, and the University of Virginia’s Darden School,
have recently launched new programs. Other business schools
are also developing partnership executive MBA programs.
WHAT IS THE EMBA PROGRAM?
The executive MBA is a full-fledged MBA program for experienced
managers, who are either already in top positions in their
organizations, or are aspiring future top managers. Most
EMBA programs require that participants have a minimum of
five to six years of managerial experience (EMBA classes
often have age ranges of 30 to 50+
years). The rich diversity of cross-functional and cross-industry
experience in the classroom, in addition to the expert professors,
is a key benefit of EMBA programs. Participants gain insights
from the varied experiences of their classmates and the
invaluable networking opportunities.
AN INTENSIVE EXPERIENCE
Executive MBA programs are designed to fit the needs and
schedules of working professionals. They are not part-time
programs, but rather, intensive programs, compressed into
reduced timeframes. Course delivery formats will vary and
it is essential for candidates to anticipate how they will
manage their absences and start putting into place their
support systems, both at work and at home. Fordham University’s
Francis Petit emphasizes the necessity of a sound support
foundation, especially for women, saying, “I believe
that women, who want to pursue the EMBA, must have support
from their families in order to successfully complete their
degree. If they do not receive this support, then their
experience may not be optimal, and women may not fully ‘roll
up their sleeves’ and take it all in. However, programs
are always looking to recruit more women, so definitely,
aim high!”
WHY EMBA?
Why does the executive MBA program maintain its popularity?
After all, the program requires a considerable investment
of time and money from both employer and employee. For IESE
Business School’s EMBA alumna Ana Paul Reis, General
Manager at Selplus, a company specialized in sales management
services, the impact of the program was felt immediately.
She says, “I am amazed at how much I learnt in the
first week alone. It has changed my view on business and
the way I look at the world. I’m making some changes
to my company as a result.”
Participants walk away from each class with immediately
applicable skills and knowledge, as well as a holistic approach
to understanding and solving business problems. Moreover,
professionals and experts from other industry sectors also
benefit from the general management skills gained from the
EMBA experience, and add to the diversity of today’s
EMBA classrooms, enriching the cohort experience. As Dr
Patricia Geller, EMBA Development Manager for Abbott GMBH,
explains, “Coming from the field of medicine and natural
science, the program helped me gain the theoretical background
to match my responsibilities as a manager in an international
biotech company. The heterogeneous international class and
professors broadened my view for cultural aspects in business
and helped me develop personally.”
Moreover, alumni continue to benefit from the networks they
forge years after graduation. As Kellogg-WHU alumni, Pierre-Yves
Rahari, VP, Head of Shareholder Services, PIMCO Europe Ltd,
puts it, “As an alumni, you continue to receive the
benefits of the Kellogg alumni network for a lifetime. I
feel that the network has really opened doors to me.”
As long as there are individuals seeking to invest in themselves,
redesign their careers, confront their limits and push their
boundaries, the EMBA is here to stay, crisis or no crisis.
|
