Atlanta is an Alpha-World-City, which means it’s an important node in the global economic system and a perfect place for an MBA grad to find a job. In fact, Atlanta ranks #4 in the number of Fortune 500 companies it headquarters, behind only NYC, Houston, and Dallas. Even more impressive, over 75% of all Fortune 100 companies have a presence in Atlanta.
For MBA graduates out of the Goizueta Business School at Emory University, Scheller College of Business at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University, they have over 1,250 multinational corporations and 126,700 high-tech jobs to choose from. Atlanta even ranks #5 on Forbes’ list of Best Places for Business and Careers.
So, what are the best jobs for MBA graduates in Atlanta? We’ve compiled a list of the most desirable MBA employers in the city below. Check it out!
Top MBA Employers in Atlanta
Delta Airlines
Delta Airlines employs nearly 31,237 people in Atlanta and is ranked #81 on the Fortune 500 list. Delta is a major American airline, operating over 5,400 flights daily to 334 destinations in 64 countries. It’s also one of the founding members of the SkyTeam alliance and is the sixth-oldest operating airline. Among its leadership team Delta has a few notable MBAs.
- Gil West is the Chief Operating Officer at Delta, and he received his MBA from National University in San Diego.
- Paul Jacobson is the Chief Financial Officer. He received his MBA from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University.
- Steve Sear, President International and E.V.P., received his MBA from the Booth School at the University of Chicago.
Wal-Mart
With 20,532 employees in Atlanta, Walmart is a major employer in the area. Worldwide, Walmart employees over 2.2 million people and is considered the biggest private employer in the world. The company has over 11,500 stores and clubs in 28 countries. MBAs among its team include:
- Doug McMillon, President and CEO, received his MBA in Finance from the University of Tulsa.
- Brett Biggs, Executive Vice President and CFO, earned his MBA with honors from Oklahoma State University.
- Michael Dastugue is the Executive Vice President and CFO of Walmart U.S. He earned his MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.
The Home Depot
Employing 20,000 people in Atlanta, The Home Depot is a big-box store specializing in home improvement and construction products and services. It’s the largest home improvement retailer in the U.S. with approximately 2,274 locations and 371,000 employees. MBAs among its leadership are:
- Ann-Marie Campbell is the Executive Vice President of The Home Depot. She has her MBA from the Robinson College at Georgia State University.
- Ted Decker, Executive Vice President of Marketing, earned his MBA from Carnegie Mellon University.
- Mark Holifield, Executive Vice President of Supply Chain and Product Development, received his MBA from Baylor University.
AT&T
AT&T is a multinational telecommunications corporation employing 17,882 people in Atlanta. The company is the second largest provider of mobile telephones in the United States and the 23rd largest company in the world as measured by a composite of revenues, profits, assets, and market value. The company has 130.4 million mobile customers worldwide. There are quite a few MBAs in the upper echelons of the company including:
- Ralph de la Vega, Vice Chairman and CEO, received his MBA from Northern Illinois University.
- Lori Lee is the Senior Executive Vice President and Global Marketing Officer at AT&T. She earned her MBA from Washington University.
- William A. Blase Jr., Senior Executive Vice President of Human Resources, earned his MBA from the University of Missouri at St. Louis.
Kroger Co.
Kroger is the largest supermarket chain by revenue ($109.83 billion) in the U.S. They employ 14,753 people in Atlanta with over 2,620 supermarkets and multi-department stores. They have a market in 34 states. Most of the top leadership at Kroger hold an MBA degree.
- Jessica C. Adelman, Group Vice President of Corporate Affairs, holds an MBA from the Wharton School.
- Kevin M. Dougherty, Group Vice President and Chief Digital Office, earned his MBA from Widener University.
- Erin Sharp is the Group Vice President of Manufacturing, and she has an MBA from the University of Texas.
Wellstar Health Systems
Wellstar Health Systems is a nonprofit that provides comprehensive care in Atlanta. It’s the largest health system in Georgia with 11 hospitals, 8 urgent care centers, and more than 225 medical office locations. They employ 13,500 individuals in Atlanta and are recognized as an Employer of Choice while being featured on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For. Among their leadership, you can find quite a few MBAs:
- Jim Budzinski, Chief Financial Officer, holds an MBA from Georgia State University.
- Ellen Langford is the Sr. VP & COO at Wellstar, and she earned her MBA from the Michael J. Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University.
- David Anderson, Executive Vice President, has an MBA from the University of Houston.
Publix Super Markets
Publix is an employee-owned American supermarket chain. It’s currently listed at #81 on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For and is ranked #87 on the Fortune 500 list. The company has over 1,114 locations and currently employs 9,494 people in Atlanta. The management team includes MBAs such as:
- Kory Gibbs, Strategic Procurement Buyer, earned his MBA from the University of Central Florida.
- Heather Winters is the Digital Marketing Manager at Publix, and she holds an MBA from Florida Southern College.
- Mark Codd, Director of Labor Relations, earned his MBA from the University of Texas at San Antonio.
Other top employers in Atlanta include USPS (9,385 employees), Coca-Cola (8,761 employees), and the United Parcel Service (8,727 employees).