Santa Clara Launches Inaugural Executive MBA Industry Group
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Santa Clara University recently launched its Executive MBA Industry Group to solidify the program’s visibility, quality and brand reputation.
The inaugural Executive MBA Industry Group members includes:
- Gautam Aggarwal MBA ‘04, Chief Marketing and Product Officer, Bidgely,
- Sophie Ames, SVP & Chief Human Resource Officer, Veritas Technologies, LLC
- Carolyn Crandall ‘86, Chief Deception & Chief Marketing Officer, Attivo Network, Inc.
- Gene Domecus EMBA ‘05, Chief Finance Officer, Peerspace
- Martin Juarez EMBA ‘08, VP of Operations, Gigamon
- Paul Kagoo, VP, Corporate Strategy, Western Digital
- Anthony Vitale MBA ‘11, Chief Information Officer, Keypoint Credit Union
“We intentionally formed a diverse Executive MBA Industry Group with complementary educational backgrounds and cross functional expertise to help us develop innovative leaders and entrepreneurial executives who can shape Silicon Valley’s future” shares Kumar Sarangee, the program’s Director.
The 20-month Executive MBA journey goes beyond the traditional “lecture and learn” format to include experiential learning such as executive-led professional communication sessions and leadership exercises; simulations in crisis management, mindfulness, product development, innovation and change management; bootcamps in analytics, technology management and law.
The Executive MBA Industry Group has deep connections to Silicon Valley, prolific industry experience and proven track records of success in established companies as well as start-ups that will open doors and create a valuable and stimulating student journey.
“What’s unique about this industry group is that we sought to have both alumni and non-alumni participate since we value Silicon Valley experience and perspectives from a variety of viewpoints,” explains Toby McChesney, senior assistant dean of graduate business programs. “What is clear though, is this group’s passion to support SCU, enhance the program and brand reputation and engage our alumni community,” says McChesney.
The newly re-designed program is ranked 13th in the nation, according to US News & World Report and the program reached new heights with its nearly fifty percent female class enrollment. Learn more about our Executive MBA program.
Santa Clara Leavey Online MBA Lands in Princeton Review Top 25
Two years after debuting its Online MBA program, the Santa Clara University Leavey School of Business‘ offering earned a top 25 spot in the newest Princeton Review ranking.
Continue reading…Santa Clara Leavey Setting The Standard for Female EMBA Enrollment
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The recently redesigned Executive MBA (EMBA) program at the Santa Clara University Leavey School of Business is setting new standards, increasing enrollment and hitting new benchmarks for diversity and gender equity.
Continue reading…Santa Clara Earns High Honors from U.S. News & World Report
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Santa Clara University and the Leavey School of Business, based in the heart California’s Silicon Valley, has earned some high praise from U.S. News & World Report.
For the first time in the publication’s “National Universities” category of its 2020 “Best Colleges” ranking, Santa Clara placed in the top 15 percent of the near-400 U.S. universities at 54th overall. The “undergraduate business education” at the Leavey School of Business also earned high honors, placing 66th overall (among 504 universities).
In a recent statement, SCU President Kevin O’Brien says, “We are extremely gratified that the hard work of Santa Clara University’s faculty, staff, and students is being recognized through strong rankings in U.S. News and elsewhere.”
Lisa Kloppenberg, Interim Provost of Santa Clara University, also adds:
“Santa Clara has long focused its resources and effort on recruiting and retaining top students from a variety of backgrounds, placing them in small classes with renowned educators, and helping them successfully complete their studies as reflected in our stellar graduation rate.”
The Leavey School of Business also earned high praise for its undergraduate business specialty programs in entrepreneurship (12th overall), management information systems (15th), and its accounting program (37th).
Caryn Beck-Dudley, Dean of the Leavey School of Business, adds, “I am excited to be leading an exceptional academic institution whose innovative and entrepreneurial offerings prepare our students to go anywhere from here. At the Leavey School of Business we collaborate with the most brilliant minds in entrepreneurship, ethics, innovation, and theory. And we do it all from the most prolific business environment on earth, Silicon Valley.”
Speaking with MetroMBA, Toby McChesney, the Leavey Sr. Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs, says, “We at the Leavey School of Business have a very strong undergraduate business program. It is great to see that U.S. News & World Report ranked us highly in several areas that point to our stellar faculty, students and programs. Santa Clara University is in the heart of Silicon Valley and continues to innovate the undergraduate and graduate programs.”
In addition to SCU’s rise in the national rankings, the school was also recognized as one of the best value’s in the U.S., placing 96th overall in the “Best Value” category, and tied for 27th overall in the “Best for Veterans” category.
Learn more about Santa Clara University Leavey School of Business here.
Santa Clara’s Sr. Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs Answers Our 5 Questions
In our latest installment of the MetroMBA “5 Questions” series, we speak with Toby McChesney, Ed.D., Senior Assistant Dean of Graduate Programs at the Santa Clara University Leavey School of Business. McChesney talks about the not-so-secret benefits of the school’s MBA programs, the benefits of learning in Silicon Valley, and a local can’t-miss spot you have to see.
1. What’s Something That People May Not Know About the Santa Clara Leavey School of Business MBA Program?
“At SCU’s MBA program, we put students first. Our professors, with their deep Silicon Valley connections, are dedicated to bringing cutting edge curriculum to the classroom. This dedication does not stop there—they want to get to know our students on a personal level, and with our small class sizes, they are able to do that. As full-time faculty, they are available to meet with students to support their academic and professional challenges. Students here at SCU are never a number, and our small but mighty admissions, career and program team work tirelessly to ensure our students are well taken care of.”
2. What Separates the Business School From the Others in the Region?
“When looking at various MBA programs in the area, students should ask themselves if they want to be an MBA student for a few years, or a ‘Bronco for Life.’ Here at SCU, our students are joining a community of like-minded professionals with strong values for integrity, collaboration and leadership. Unlike other programs where competition between students is high, SCU MBA students thrive in a supportive and cooperative environment. This sense of community makes SCU a unique place to learn business, as students learn from one another while applying the concepts they learn in class each evening. Given that 90% of our students are currently employed at top Silicon Valley Companies like Apple, Google, and LinkedIn, this make for a very powerful, yet supportive, learning environment. Also, there are more alumni from the Leavey School of Business living and working in the Bay Area than from any other business school, so the alumni network is unmatched.”
3. What Kind of Prospective MBA Applicant Should Consider Enrolling in Leavey?
“We are looking for applicants that have a strong academic background, not necessarily in business, professional work experience of at least three years and most importantly a generous attitude. We are looking for students who are ‘other-focused,’ and want to use what they learn at SCU to better their teams, their companies, their communities, and the world.”
4. What Unique Opportunities Do Students Have Enrolling in Leavey, Considering its Location in San Jose?
“Our location in Silicon Valley allows our MBA program to draw the cream of the crop to our faculty; we have CFO’s and Venture Capitalists co-teaching our courses. Each class has a Silicon Valley component woven into the curriculum, whether that be a real-time case project, or C-suite co-teaching a course in which they are experts. Santa Clara MBA students will benefit from Silicon Valley experiential learning as well as innovation and entrepreneurship.”
5. If You Can Only Pick One Restaurant in the Area, Where Would You Go?
“The Hut.
The Hut, a San Jose icon, reopened in June 2019 after a temporary three-year closure / Photo via Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group
The Hut has been an iconic gathering place for all SCU students for many decades, it closed in December 2016 and has just reopened as a restaurant and bar.”
Building an Event Startup at USC, and More – Los Angeles News
Happy Friday! Let’s explore some of the biggest stories coming out Los Angeles lately.
Leavey School of Business Announces Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center – Leavey School of Business News
Santa Clara University’s Leavey School of Business’ renowned food industry program, founded in 1973, has evolved into one of the country’s leaders in the field.
With its continuing focus on new technologies for responsible farming, production and distribution, the school recently introduced the The Center for Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CFIE).
“Many of our MBA students are interested in studying innovation and entrepreneurship in the food industry and applying what they have learned to develop business opportunities either as entrepreneurs themselves or with their companies,” according to a recent press release.
Connections with Silicon Valley will be a foundation of the center, as well as a strong emphasis on sustainability, climate change, animal welfare, and the issue of food insecurity.
Dr. Gregory Baker, Executive Director of the Center, says “[The CFIE] builds on our 45-year history of education and scholarship in the food and agribusiness industry. We will continue our strong partnership with industry leaders while forging new partnerships with the innovators and entrepreneurs”.
For more on the CFIE, visit Leavey’s News & Events page.
UCLA Anderson Media, Entertainment & Sports Center Studies Gaming and Advertising – UCLA Anderson News and Events
UCLA Anderson School of Management’s Center for Management of Enterprise in Media, Entertainment & Sports (MEMES) published a recent study with Versus Systems, Inc. that will help form the future of advertising within online games and other media platforms.
The study reveals the unsurprising fact that there are a large number of online gamers out there—of respondents across various demographics, 50 percent played a game in the past week, and 41 percent did in the last 24 hours. A gap, however, arose in just who identifies as a “gamer” with only 13 percent self-identifying as such. Among women surveyed, 11 percent identified as a gamer. Millennial males played the most, followed by women of Gen Z.
Advertising’s function within games was the other focus of the study. With traditional ads within television programming diminishing, advertisers need to engage consumers within a newer media landscape.
One of the more striking results the survey found was that rewards were the primary driver of gaming behavior. The survey asked respondents what would make them play or watch more games, and the answer was resoundingly “prizes” as opposed to engaging with friends or affordability.
You can read more from the gaming study here.
For more details on the study, visit the Globe NewsWire press release.
USC Marshall MBAs ‘Engage’ through Talent Booking Startup – USC Marshall News and Events
Two USC Marshall MBAs—Jake Olson (’19) and Daniel Hennes (’19)—received accolades for their event startup; an online marketplace that will streamline and modernize talent booking.
Engage is the product of Olson’s experience with blindness, and of Hennes’ assistance while the two were school roommates. Olson lost his eyesight as a child to a rare condition, and he conquered multiple odds to achieve his goal of not only attending USC, but also of becoming a long snapper for the Trojans football team.
His success led him to motivational speaking, combining the busy schedule of a college student, making booking engagements a burden. Olson noticed that the booking industry was still stuck in the analog age, with fax machines and checkbooks prevailing.
[Left to right] Daniel Hennes, Brett S. Roenick, Brendan M. Egan, Mike Olson, John S. Shegerian, Jake Olson, Noah Schwartz / Photo via marshall.usc.edu
Hennes and Olson caught the attention of the USC Marshall Venture Fund, which helps to incubate businesses within the MBA community.
“Jake and Daniel are solving a 21st-century business challenge in a way that feels unique to the Los Angeles tech and entertainment landscape—this is exactly the kind of creative thinking the Fund intends to support,” says Michael Rivera, Managing Director of the Venture Fund.
You can read here for more on Olsen, Hennes and the event startup.
