The ExecMBA Podcast

ExecMBA Podcast #412: Meet Career Coach Greg French

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Greg French. Greg is a Career Coach with our Professional Degree Programs Career team. We talk with Greg about what led him to career coaching, what he enjoys about his work, as well as what brought him to Darden. Greg works closely with our MSBA students, and he also shares his insights about career resources and outcomes for MSBA students.  For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

ExecMBA Podcast #411: Club Spotlight | Darden Executive Fund

In this episode of the podcast, we spotlight the Darden Executive Fund (DEF) with a conversation featuring two of its leaders – Steve Miller and Philip Hunter. Steve and Philip are second year students in Darden’s Executive MBA Class of 2026, and we talk with them about their backgrounds, what drew them to the Darden Executive Fund, what they’ve been working on with the Fund this year and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.
 

ExecMBA Podcast #410: Office Hours Spotlight | In Conversation with Scott Miller

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we share a recent installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Scott Miller. Miller is an Assistant Professor of Business Administration at the Darden School of Business, Director of the Democracy and Capitalism Lab at the Karsh Institute of Democracy, and Senior Fellow at the Miller Center of Public Affairs. As an economic historian, Miller examines the development of modern economic systems, particularly during period of instability and volatility. In this conversation, we talk with Miller about his background, his Financial Crises and Alexander Hamilton courses, his thoughts on the relationship between democracy and capitalism and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

ExecMBA Podcast #409: Talking with Your Manager About a Working Professionals Program

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with friend of the podcast, Zoe Mayfield Boykin. Zoe is the Associate Director of Admissions, Professional Degree Programs, at the Darden School of Business, and we talk with her about the importance of engaging your manager in your plans to participate in a Part-Time MBA or Executive MBA program. Creating a support network at work is essential for success in any working professional program, and in this conversation, Zoe shares strategies and tips for approaching this conversation. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

ExecMBA Podcast #408: Office Hours Spotlight | In Conversation with June West and Steve Soltis

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we share a recent installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professors June West and Steve Soltis. West and Soltis teach classes across Darden's MBA formats, including Leadership Communication, and they are also co-founders of the Darden Leadership Communication Council. Their podcast series, CEO Voices: Leading with Communication, examines the communication that enables transformational leadership. We talk with them about their backgrounds, what led them to Darden, the importance of Leadership Communications in an MBA curriculum, recent cases they’ve developed for their elective courses and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.
 

ExecMBA Podcast #407: Catching Up with the Darden Financial Aid Team

In this special episode of the Darden Admissions podcast, we are excited to share a recent conversation with Jennifer Hulvey and Reece Meares, two members of the Darden Financial Aid team. We talk with Jennifer and Reece about what they enjoy about financial aid, what students should be thinking about as they prepare financially for business school, upcoming federal loan changes resulting from the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

ExecMBA Podcast #406: In Conversation | Interim Dean Mike Lenox

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we share audio from a recent webinar with Interim Dean Mike Lenox. In addition to serving as the Interim Dean of the Darden School of Business, Lenox is a member of the Strategy, Ethics and Entrepreneurship faculty, and he teaches the core MBA strategy course and an MBA elective on Strategy in the Digital Age, among other offerings. In this conversation facilitated by Managing Director of Admissions Whitney Kestner, Lenox shares insights about his background, the Darden learning experience, his research interests, his new role as Interim Dean and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.  

ExecMBA Podcast #405: Office Hours Spotlight | In-Conversation with Professor Doug Thomas

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we share a recent installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Doug Thomas. Thomas is the Academic Director of the Sands Institute for Lifelong Learning, and a member of the Technology and Operations Management faculty at the Darden School of Business. We talk with Thomas about his background, what led him to Darden, AI in the classroom, current disruptions affecting global operations, the resiliency of the global supply chain and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

ExecMBA Podcast #404: Student Spotlight | Caroline Holt

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Caroline Holt. Caroline is a second year student in UVA Darden’s Executive MBA Class of 2026, and we recently connected to talk more about her decision to pursue an MBA, what led her to Darden, how she’s leveraged Darden’s entrepreneurial resources, her advice for prospective students and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

ExecMBA Podcast #403: Tips for Researching Working Professional MBA Programs

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Associate Director of Admissions, Professional Degree Programs, Zoe Mayfield Boykin. Zoe shares her tips for researching working professional MBA programs, including how to get started, key considerations, common myths and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

ExecMBA Podcast #402: Preparing Students for the AI Age with Professor Raj Venkatesan

In this special episode of the podcast, we catch up with Professor Raj Venkatesan. Venkatesan is a member of the Marketing faculty at the Darden School of Business as well as the co-Academic Director for UVA’s MS in Business Analytics (MSBA) program and Darden’s LaCross Institute for Ethical Artificial Intelligence in Business. We talk with Venkatesan about his background, what led him to Darden, what drew him to the MSBA program, how the faculty has incorporated artificial intelligence into the curriculum, how the program prepares students for the AI age and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

ExecMBA Podcast #401: Catching up with the Network of Executive Women Student Organization

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Elizabeth Berry and Jackie Jacobson. Elizabeth and Jackie are leaders of Darden’s Network of Executive Women (NEW) student organization, an organization dedicated to the professional development and advancement of females in Darden's Executive MBA and Part-Time MBA programs. We talk with Elizabeth and Jackie about their respective backgrounds, their decision to pursue an MBA, how they decided to get involved with NEW, what they’ve enjoyed about their Darden experience and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

ExecMBA Podcast #400: Office Hours Spotlight | In Conversation with Pnina Feldman

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we share a recent installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Pnina Feldman. Feldman is a member of the Technology and Operations Management faculty at Darden, and her research focuses on how digital technologies affects operations strategy with emphasis on services, platforms, pricing, and consumer engagement. We talk with Feldman about her background, her research, her Managing Service Operations elective, her recent paper on ticket reselling, her thoughts on AI and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

ExecMBA Podcast #399: Catching Up with Laura Bordoni | Experiential Learning Spotlight

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Laura Bordoni. Laura is a member of the Darden faculty, and she currently leads the Experiential Learning, a 6.0 credit course sequence that gives Executive MBA students a dedicated opportunity to explore their professional and personal goals. We talk with Laura about the Experiential Learning course, what she enjoys about leading this course, why she’s so passionate about helping students grow and develop, her advice for prospective students and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

ExecMBA Podcast #398: In Conversation | Keith McCormick, Bodily Bicentennial Professor in Analytics

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Keith McCormick. Keith is the Bodily Bicentennial Professor in Analytics at the Darden School of Business. The Bodily Bicentennial Professor in Analytics position was created to honor the contributions of Sam Bodily, the John Tyler Professor Emeritus of Business Administration to the field of decision analysis, and this visiting position allows a leader in the field of analytics to step away from their normal activities and collaborate and share insights with the Darden and broader University of Virginia community. We talk with Keith about his background, what he’s enjoyed about his time at Darden, Darden’s upcoming AI conference, how AI has transformed the field of analytics, and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

ExecMBA Podcast #397: Office Hours Spotlight | In-Conversation with Professor Alex Cowan

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we share a recent installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Alex Cowan. Cowan teaches several courses in the area of design and digital innovation, and with Darden, he also created the Coursera specialization,  'Digital Product Management', one of the top 15 specializations on Coursera.  His work on hypothesis-driven development is widely used by practitioners and instructors as a systematic approach to developing new products and businesses. We talk with Alex about his entrepreneurial background, his classes, his thoughts on essential skills for tech product managers in an AI age, where he believes AI is heading and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.
 

ExecMBA Podcast #396: App Tips with Associate Director of Admissions Zoe Mayfield Boykin

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Associate Director of Admissions, Professional Degree Programs, Zoe Mayfield Boykin. We talk with Zoe about application timing, what can slow an application down in the admissions review process, how to discuss a work disruption when applying to business school, how to choose between a working professional program and a Full-Time MBA program and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

ExecMBA Podcast #395: Catching up with the Executive MBA Student Association (ESA)

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with David Carver and Shafile Rashid. David and Shafile are second year students in UVA Darden’s Executive MBA Class of 2026, and they are also leaders in the Executive MBA Student Association (ESA). We talk with David and Shafile about their respective backgrounds, what attracted them to the Executive MBA program, what the ESA is all about, what the ESA has planned for the months ahead and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

ExecMBA Podcast #394: Office Hours Spotlight | In-Conversation with Professor Michael Albert

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, we share a recent installment in our ongoing ‘Office Hours’ faculty spotlight series, a conversation with Professor Michael Albert. Albert’s research focuses on combining machine learning and algorithmic techniques to automate the design of markets. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk with him about his background, what led him to Darden, his Machine Learning and AI for Business elective, whether we are on course for an AI bubble, how businesses should be thinking about AI and more. For more insights, tips, and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

ExecMBA Podcast #393: Student Spotlight | Joel Flesher, Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club, Professional Degree Programs

In this episode of the podcast we catch up with Joel Flesher. Joel is a second year student in UVA Darden’s Executive MBA Class of 2026, and he is also one of the leaders of the Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club, Professional Degree Programs. We chat with Joel about his decision to pursue an MBA, what led him to Darden, how he’s balanced work, life and school, what he’s looking forward to in his second year and more. For more insights, tips and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

ExecMBA Podcast #392: Student Spotlight | Gavin Aydelotte and Mike McHugh, Darden Military Association Professional Formats

In episode of the podcast, we catch up with Gavin Aydelotte and Mike McHugh. Gavin and Mike are second year students in UVA Darden’s Executive MBA Class of 2026, and they are also leaders of the Darden Military Association (DMA) Professional Formats student organization. We talk with Gavin and Mike about their decisions to pursue an MBA, what led them to Darden, what they’ve enjoyed about the program so far, how the DMA Professional Formats provides a community within a community and more. For more insights, tips and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

ExecMBA Podcast #391: Student Spotlight | Cedric Thomas and D’Auria Henry Brown, Black Professional MBA Student Organization

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Cedric Thomas and D’Auria Henry Brown. Cedric and D’Auria are students in UVA Darden’s Part-Time MBA program, and they are also leaders of the Black Professional MBA (BPMBA) student organization, a club open to all Executive MBA and Part-Time MBA students at Darden. We talk with Cedric and D’Auria about their respective backgrounds, their decision to pursue an MBA, what they’ve enjoyed about Darden, BPMBA’s plans for the year ahead and more. For more insights, tips and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.

ExecMBA Podcast #390: Catching Up with the Part-Time MBA Student Association (PSA)

In this episode of the podcast, we speak with two leaders of the Part-Time MBA Student Association (PSA), Samantha Karp (Class of 2026) and Christine Mehr (Class of 2027). We talk with Sam and Christine about their decision to pursue an MBA, the impact of their time at Darden, how they got involved with the PSA, the PSA’s plans for the year ahead and more. For more insights, tips and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba

ExecMBA Podcast #389: Student Spotlight | Jesse Kirk and Lara Myers, Healthcare Alliance

In this episode of the podcast, we catch up with Jesse Kirk and Lara Myers. Jesse and Lara are second years students in the Executive MBA Class of 2026, and they are also leaders of the Healthcare Alliance student organization. We talk with Jesse and Lara about their decision to pursue an MBA, what led them to Darden, the impact of their program so far, their plans for the Healthcare Alliance in the year ahead and more. For more insights, tips and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba. 

ExecMBA Podcast #388: App Tips | Choosing Your Recommender

In this special edition of the Darden Admissions podcast, Admissions Committee members, Whitney Kestner and Catie Yeilding, share advice for choosing a recommender, including who makes a good recommender, what the recommendation adds to the application and more. For more insights, tips and stories about the Darden experience, be sure to check out the Discover Darden Admissions blog and follow us on Instagram @dardenmba.