With more than 20 years of construction development experience and a 50- to 60- hour work week, Tim Munson knew exactly what he needed to get to the next step in his career.
“I needed an MBA program that fits that lifestyle and, most of all, maximizes the hours I can devote to learning by exposing me to new and interesting ideas instead of wasting my time,” said Munson, director of construction for Baptist Health South.
“FIU’s EMBA was the perfect choice.”
Tim is one of 29 members of the Class of 2015 of the Executive MBA program at Florida International University (FIU), an elite program exclusively for senior executives.
FIU’s Chapman Graduate School of Business relaunched the EMBA program in January 2013.
“We completely deconstructed the program and started over, spending an entire year and a half in designing and building an interdisciplinary curriculum that deals with complex, strategic decisions,” said Stephen Barnett, faculty director of the EMBA program. “Executives enter the program as proven leaders and emerge as visionary ones, with global perspective and leadership skills to take their career and their organization to the next level of growth and profitability.”
That’s exactly what Anne Bousquet says she needs, as she’s preparing to expand her mid-sized winery, Domaine Bousquet, ranked within the top 15 exporting wineries in Argentina, to have an even larger impact in the international marketplace.
“In 2009 I moved to Argentina to help with the family business,” said Bousquet, who has a bachelor’s degree from L’Universite de Toulouse (France) and a master’s degree in Applied Economics from St. Cloud State University (Minnesota). “I’ve done fine since then but I’m an economist, with no real business background. Our company is going global and I need to be ready to lead in this new era. I’ve come to Miami for FIU’s EMBA program because it offers me the precise skills I need to grow the company.”
FIU’s EMBA faculty team organized this unique interdisciplinary curriculum around four strategic decision-making theme-courses: scanning and navigating in a globalizing world; planning products and services that create economic and social value; managing processes that deliver value; and implementing strategic plans. In addition, they added two “warp thread” application courses that run throughout the 18-month program: Leadership and Innovation.
“All learning is integrated, a very different format, that makes an impact from day one,” Bousquet said. “This program is taught by professors with real world business experience and that is a significant advantage.”
The hybrid format of the 18-month EMBA program allows busy executives to complete online coursework and participate in face-to-face classes two times a month at FIU Downtown on Brickell.
Immersion gets the group working together.
In early January 2015, the 29 enrollees of the Class of 2015 got together for an immersion week in the Florida Keys.
In addition to getting to know their cohorts, faculty and staff, the getaway included teambuilding activities and a range of presentations covering innovation, leadership and public speaking skills.
“The caliber of the Class of 2016 is extraordinary, as these executives come together from diverse backgrounds bringing a wealth of experience,” Barnett said. “Seeing them begin to work together is a privilege.”
“My cohorts and what they bring to the table have made the EMBA experience even stronger,” Munson said. “I could tell in January that I would learn from these people and benefit from sharing classes with them — and that has absolutely come true.”
