EMBA - Sponsorships - Strategy

While all students take their own path to obtain company support, below you will find examples of the approaches and actions several Darden students have taken to gain their company’s endorsement.

In this video, Sarah Henneberry, EMBA Class of 2013, gives advice on how to approach your employer to obtain company support for pursuing an executive MBA. She also describes the ways that Darden's Executive MBA provided an immediate return on investment for her and her company.

Each organization is different and will have unique processes by which to seek sponsorship; some organizations have sponsored executive MBAs in the past, others have not. It is important to first know why you want your MBA. This is critical to your being able to make a compelling case for why the organization should support you. It is important to start this planning phase early because this process often takes longer than one expects.

Throughout your application, in your essays and in your interview, we are looking to get to know you as an individual and as a professional; to understand what you will bring to the Darden learning community; and to learn what you are looking to gain from your MBA. The better you know your story, the better able you will be to articulate your goals. It is important that you present a clear vision not only to the Admissions Committee, but also to your employer.

Understand your company's policies and processes for this type of request and the expectations and timeline for submitting such a proposal. Beyond these important “nuts and bolts” concerns, consider your company’s short- and long-term business goals. Ask yourself how the skills and knowledge you’ll attain while earning your MBA can help your employer reach these goals. Understanding your employer’s perspective and its goals can help you shape your proposal.

Ask colleagues from within your organization if they have completed the Darden Executive MBA program (or a similar program). You should also seek out alumni from Darden’s full-time MBA program within your company. As a Darden executive MBA student, you will earn the same diploma as our full-time alumni and study with the same faculty. The Darden community is exceptionally strong and close-knit, and you’ll find these alumni to be helpful resources. If possible, talk to these individuals about their experiences and ask their advice on making your request for sponsorship. You may also want to propose the idea of attending Darden to your work colleagues or mentors with whom you are closest and get buy-in, before presenting the idea to more senior managers.

Some companies may be concerned that after getting your MBA, you will find a new job. Showing commitment to returning to the organization for a minimum amount of time can help make your case.

In Darden’s executive MBA formats students and employers alike expand their capabilities and achieve a greater level of success. Being able to articulate the value of a Darden MBA for both you and your employer will be central as you make your case. When you are learning in real time, you are taking new ideas and theories back to your organization with great speed. While this is true of any top-tier executive MBA program, Darden’s program offers several distinct advantages:

• Darden teaches via the case method, and that means that as a student you are being trained to have a bias toward action, and always with an eye towards the practical application of every technique and concept you learn.
• Darden teaches via an integrated general management curriculum. The issues you discuss in class cross boundaries of function and cut across silos, just like the challenges faced by your organization.
• Darden’s executive MBA formats are optimized for transmitting knowledge to busy managers. Blending in-person residencies with distance learning, Darden’s EMBA and GEMBA allow students to immerse themselves in a challenging course of study while staying on top of their professional responsibilities.

Once you have done your research, it is time to draft your proposal. Your proposal should:

EDUCATE THE READER ON THE VALUE OF AN MBA AND SPECIFICALLY THE VALUE OF THE DARDEN MBA FOR EXECUTIVES PROGRAMS

Keep your company’s perspective in mind. How do you plan to pass along knowledge, concepts and new ideas learned in the program so that your company receives a return on investment from your participation? How will the experience prepare you to be more effective in your current role? What makes Darden a better fit for you and your firm than other programs that might be less expensive?

PROVIDE IDEAS ON HOW TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF YOUR BEING AWAY FROM THE OFFICE

Participating in any executive MBA program requires you to take time away from work. What can you do in advance and during the residencies to mitigate potential conflicts, demonstrate your appreciation to your co-workers, and bring back some of the program's benefits to your colleagues?

BE UPFRONT ABOUT THE TIME COMMITMENT

Both Darden executive MBA formats take 21 months to complete.

The core program structure is the same for EMBA and GEMBA: 10, 2-month long quarters, with roughly 2/3 of the program delivered in person and 1/3 through distance learning.

Darden’s executive formats are built upon a once-a-month weekend residency model. Each quarter consists of 2 weekend residencies (or 1 global residency) as well as distance learning.

In addition, all executive format students participate in 2, week-long leadership residencies. 1 leadership residency at the start of the program. 1 leadership residency at the conclusion of the program. Both of these residencies take place in Charlottesville on the Darden Grounds.

Lastly, all executive format students have a required global experience. The Executive MBA Program arranges for 4 week-long global residencies (past locations include Brazil, Europe, China and India). EMBA students participate in 1 (up to 2 – space permitting) of these global residencies. GEMBA students participate in all 4 of the global residencies.

Students generally report that during non-residency weeks, they spend about 15-20 hours on coursework and online classes.

For additional details regarding the structure and design of our executive formats, click here.

As previously mentioned, the process of planning for and gaining company support often takes longer than one might think. Allow enough time to plan your proposal and get the needed approvals. This process may also entail negotiating, so be prepared to negotiate an outcome that matches your goals and your employer’s.

Sean Flynn

Software Business Unit Executive
IBM
University of Virginia Darden School of Business Executive MBA (EMBA) Class of 2009

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO SPONSOR A DARDEN EMBA STUDENT?

Sponsoring high potential employees to Darden is one of the most powerful investments that our business can make. I was fortunate enough to be sponsored by IBM to attend the Darden EMBA program. During my 21 months in the program, I developed a deep appreciation for the program’s ability to prepare leaders to succeed in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous business climate.

With trademark rigor, Darden’s case-method curriculum exposed me to a myriad of industries and functional areas outside of my area of expertise. The process is transformative leaving our class with a deeply ingrained enterprise perspective. Teaching executive students to evaluate business in parts and wholes is one of the distinctive elements of what we refer to as Darden DNA.

The Darden case method is also effective at helping students understand nuance, identify relevant information and prioritize activities that deliver tangible business outcomes.

Simply put, Darden helps students become more effective problem solvers. When students share with colleagues what they learned and how it is helping them thrive, their teams want to learn it too. I found this to be particularly true in a high-performance environment like IBM.

WHAT BENEFITS DOES YOUR COMPANY GAIN FROM SPONSORING DARDEN STUDENTS?

At this point, we have been fortunate to have a number of high potential employees go through the program. While these high potential graduates form a strong core for the business, the lessons, creativity and ideas they bring impact my team and adjacent units.

I am referring to pragmatic, immediately applicable ideas.

We have seen folks we invested in come back and lead complex, enterprise level negotiations with the very real intention of creating value versus claiming value.

In one recent example that would make Professor Sherwood Frey proud, we saw an employee find a creative way to add value to a deal that built the commitment from a 7-figure deal to an 8-figure deal. And both parties were pleased with the outcome.

WHAT CHANGES DO YOU SEE IN THE INDIVIDUALS YOUR COMPANY HAS SPONSORED?

In our experience, the individuals we sponsored demonstrated remarkable growth as business leaders. High potentials in the program matured and showed increased comfort with complex financial situations and communicating with varied audiences. To be certain, it is an investment we reserve for individuals with the potential to attain senior leadership positions in the business.

I also saw quite a few of my peers take on higher levels of responsibility while I was a student. I was honored to receive a significant promotion during my time at Darden, and we recently announced the promotion of another EMBA student.

WHAT CRITERIA DO YOU USE WHEN EVALUATING EMPLOYEES FOR SPONSORSHIP AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT?

Companies will have criteria and processes for sponsorship that are as varied as the industries they compete in.

On my team, I look for a high-potential employee with a minimum of four years of service, a consistent track record of success at increasing levels of responsibility and the genuine desire to grow inside IBM. I also ask our applicants to provide a detailed business case. The ability and desire to grow in and contribute to the company are essential elements.

There are different levels of sponsorship. At a minimum, Darden requires that a sponsor support the time commitment (20 hours per week for 21 months) and attendance at on-Grounds academic sessions (typically 3 days a month, plus 2 weeks per year). There are also options for financial sponsorship which include full or partial tuition.

On my team, we generally commit to a student’s level of financial sponsorship after they’ve been accepted.

WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON EMBA SPONSORSHIP, RETENTION AND LOYALTY?

The question often comes up on what to require of a sponsored student after graduation. For my team, it’s a minimum two year commitment after graduation. In my personal business case for sponsorship, I was specific in defining ways I would contribute to IBM during and after the program. I believe that commitment has helped the employees I’ve sponsored as well. We’ve been able to point out that the employees we sponsored to attend Darden have stayed with and are growing in the company.

In general, I would say that if a candidate demonstrates an interest in pursuing a MBA, encourage it wholeheartedly. It is absolutely normal to be concerned about retention after graduation. In my experience, it has been the opposite. Once a high potential sees us investing in them and in their future, it has a positive impact on loyalty.

Jason Fox

Head of SAP Education North America
University of Virginia Darden School of Business Executive MBA (EMBA) Class of 2011

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO GET AN MBA AT THIS STAGE OF YOUR CAREER?

I always wanted to get an MBA.

At work, I found myself managing a P&L and a group of people, and I realized that I was inventing what I did along the way rather than educating myself on what I should do. I thought that an MBA was the best way to accelerate my understanding about how to best run a business. I did not know how to effectively run a P&L, had no idea of the effects of economics on my business or how to properly lead an organization.

HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT GETTING COMPANY SUPPORT FOR THE EMBA PROGRAM?

Fortunately for me, I am among the top talent program at SAP, and SAP treats its top talents like gold.

I told them of my desire to get an MBA, and the management team loved the idea.

SAP actually used me as an example of someone who does not sit still and who wants to improve on his skills.

HOW DID YOU APPLY WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED DIRECTLY TO YOUR JOB DURING THE PROGRAM?

Lynn Isabella’s class, Leading Organizations, is probably the best example. The firehouse lesson helped me significantly.

My calendar tends to fill up quickly and I often have little time to think about innovation. The firehouse lesson taught me to block time on my calendar to reflect and focus. I use this lesson weekly to think about my business and how to best improve it. From these hours have come countless ideas about how to move my business forward.

HOW HAS THE DARDEN EMBA HELPED ADVANCE YOUR CAREER?

During my time at Darden I was promoted one time to leading all technical consultants at SAP and within six months after completing my MBA, I now run all of SAP Education for North America. I own roughly a $140 million P&L and lead 150 people.

HOW DID YOUR COMPANY BENEFIT FROM YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROGRAM?

They still comment about how much I have grown in two years. My conversation has been elevated to the next level. I am now able to talk about the entire enterprise, as well as the financial implications of our decisions. SAP benefits from my holistic approach to business and how I do not make decisions solely based on my world alone.

Brian Mitchell

Associate Director, Marketing & Customer Solutions
Merck
University of Virginia Darden School of Business Executive MBA (EMBA) Class of 2010

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO GET AN MBA?

To further develop my leadership capabilities, broaden my general management perspective and sharpen my decision analysis skills.

HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT GETTING COMPANY SUPPORT FOR THE EMBA PROGRAM?

First, getting an MBA/EMBA was an established part of my short-term and long-term developmental plan. Alignment to your development plan is critical to garnering support.

Second, I provided specific examples as to how the Darden EMBA could be applied to everyday work, while uniquely preparing me to lead a larger organization and strategic change.

Finally, I also committed to pay back financial support if I were to separate from the company during a specified period of time. As it relates to time away from work, I predominantly used my own vacation time.

HOW DID YOU APPLY WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED DIRECTLY TO YOUR JOB DURING THE PROGRAM?

As an outgrowth of the Strategy coursework, I have applied the Diamond Framework, case studies and coursework insights to shape strategy on multiple occasions.

HOW HAS THE DARDEN EMBA HELPED ADVANCE YOUR CAREER?

While going through the Darden EMBA program, I held the position of Customer Team Leader. Within two months of completing the program, I was promoted to a position of increased responsibility as Associate Director, Marketing & Customer Solutions. Importantly, the competencies I developed in marketing, strategy, and decision analysis aligned to the required skills needed for my new position.

HOW DID YOUR COMPANY BENEFIT FROM YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROGRAM?

The coursework I completed in classes like Innovation, Strategy and Unleashing Organizational Potential enhanced my contributions to my company’s strategic objectives. Separately, I am part of a team that hires top-tier intern talent from Darden's MBA program.