2020 Best & Brightest EMBAs: Evan Hattan, Vanderbilt University (Owen)

Evan Hattan

Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management

Age: 37

Husband and dad that loves his family and friends.”

Hometown: Dayton, OH

Family Members: Wife (Mary Hattan), Daughter (Ella), Mom (Cynthia), Dad (Kenneth), Brother (Michael) and Sister (Meagan)

Undergraduate School and Degree: Vanderbilt University, BE Chemical Engineering

Where are you currently working? Buckman, VP of Sales

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles: Alumni Advisory Committee Vanderbilt Biomolecular and Chemical Engineering, Memphis Men’s Soccer League, United Way of Memphis

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? My daughter Ella was born in February of my first year. She is hand-down my greatest achievement and the brightest part of my life. With her joining our family and business school, there were not many other extracurricular activities

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? The relationships I have developed with bright and amazing people. My professional success was facilitated by great mentors and teammates. These relationships have provided growth in my personal and professional life.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Michael Burcham. He is honest, transparent, driven, smart, and, most importantly, imparts those qualities on his students. His class provides frameworks, relatable examples and an environment that feels different than a normal MBA class.

Why did you choose this school’s executive MBA program? My classmates, professors, and the global immersion track.

What did you enjoy most about business school in general? Learning about industries and businesses outside of my own from my classmates.

What is the biggest lesson you gained during your MBA and how did you apply it at work? Ask really good questions. Listen more. Ask more questions.

Give us a story during your time as an executive MBA on how you were able to juggle work, family, and education? My original plan was to drive to Nashville on Friday nights, go to school Saturday, and hang out through the weekend with friends. A month before the program began, I found out I was going to be a dad. So instead of partying in Nashville, I woke up at 3:30 AM every other Saturday, drove to Nashville from Memphis, went to school for 12 hours, and drove back. Needless to say, life was a little crazy during this time, but we figure out how to adapt (including Monster energy drinks).

What advice would you give to a student looking to enter an executive MBA program? No time is ever the right time to get an executive MBA. If advancing your business learning is a priority, enroll in the program and you will figure out how to adapt your life.

What is the biggest myth about going back to school? It would be a challenge. Juggling life with school was a challenge, but a very rewarding challenge.

What was your biggest regret in business school? Hands down, not being able to socialize with my classmates. Driving back and forth I missed the social/happy hours every Saturday. Huge regret not being able to take part.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Samantha Sherrell. Samantha’s father was not in great health, which meant Samantha had to take a larger leadership role in their family business. She was a fantastic team member and still was able to help care for her dad. She is an amazingly competent person and is extremely kind-hearted.

Also, big shout out to the multiple moms who had a child during the program. They are my heroes.

“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I graduated from undergrad, I just didn’t know when.”

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? To provide financially for my family and be in a role that inspires me to get up in the morning.

In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you? As giving a great presentation with a fantastic Christmas sweater and classic mustache…basically a fun-loving classmate.

What are the top two items on your bucket list?

  1. Travel to Asia
  2. Attend a World Cup (soccer) tournament

What made Evan such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2020?

“Evan is a natural leader. He combines charisma with a quick, analytical mind. He is engaging and personable. He is not overbearing but is sensitive to being inclusive and bringing out the best in others. He turned a vague and amorphous project objective into a systematic evaluation of a complex problem. He made terrific contributions to the team and the client. In sum, Evan combines charisma and natural leadership with a quick, analytical mind. He’s a true leader and a pleasure to work with.”

Erin Raccah
Global Immersion Capstone Project Coordinator

DON’T MISS: THE FULL LIST OF THE TOP 100 BEST & BRIGHTEST EXECUTIVE MBAS OF 2020