Michael Thorne-Begland

University of Virginia, Darden School of Business

Age: 54

“A creative with a JD (now MBA) that thrives in ambiguity and tackling the impossible.”

Hometown: Smithfield, Virginia

Family Members: The Honorable Tracy William Thorne-Begland (husband), Logan (daughter) 19 and Chance (son) 19

Fun fact about yourself: I have lived in and been renovating (doing most of the work ourselves) the same historic house for the past 30 years.

Undergraduate School and Degree:

College of William and Mary, BA, Political Science

University of Richmond, JD

Where are you currently working? Altria. I began my EMBA as Vice President, Chief DEI officer. Six months before graduation, I became our Vice President for Venture Growth.

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles:

Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME), a Virginia Fair Housing organization, Board of Directors

CrossOver Health Ministry, a Virginia non-profit providing compassionate healthcare for the uninsured, Board of Directors

Children’s Home Society, a Virginia non-profit supporting the needs of youth in Virginia’s foster care system, Board of Directors

Darden, EMBA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, first term committee chair

Darden, EMBA First Year Academic Excellence Award, top 20% of class

UVA, Raven Society, UVA’s oldest honorary society, EMBA first year inductee

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? On the first day of our first EMBA weekend of classes, a noose was found on a statute on UVA’s campus. Over the weekend, I drafted a letter from our EMBA class to the University. It acknowledged the incident, placed it in the broader context of lynchings in the United States and the Unite the Right rally at the University in 2017 and memorialized our commitment as a class to learn from the incident and work to end racism. During meals and on breaks I asked classmates to sign it. We had over 80% of the class sign their names to it. I sent the letter to Darden’s Dean and UVA’s President, as well as UVA’s student newspaper where it was published.

I’m most proud of the achievement, because it facilitated our EMBA class, at the very beginning of our program, to engage in important and challenging dialogue about racism and the work still ahead to end it. It also set a precedent that while we would be heavily focused on the program’s curriculum, we would stay engaged in the broader context, both business and societal, in which we were pursuing our degrees and bring those issues into our learning.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? In my five years as Chief DEI officer, I led the efforts that took Altria from a time when (among other things) only 14% of our vice presidents were women to a very different time five years later when i left the role, when 34% of our vice presidents were women. During that same time, vice presidents of color rose from 14% to 27% of Altria’s Vice Presidents. Over the same five years, levels of inclusion for all employee groups increased well above benchmarks. The group with the highest levels of inclusion after five years, were White men. I’m proud of these, and other achievements related to DEI, because (1) Altria became a very different place to work during this time, where all employees felt they belonged, could succeed and bring all of who they are to work; (2) the achievements validated my approach to DEI (a social movement model that was fundamentally different than the model used by most large organizations); and (3) they proved that DEI is not a zero-sum game, that White men can still feel included while diversity of senior leadership increases.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Andy Wicks. He was one of the instructors who inspired me to pursue an EMBA. He is an ethicist and beautifully integrated ethics into the business curriculum in his core business ethics class. He equipped all the students with the tools that we need to explore the ethical challenges and decisions that we face in the business world every day. He also teaches one of my favorite courses, Ultimate Questions, which as the name suggests allowed students to explore who am I, why am I here, what does it mean for me to live a good life, and how should I get along with other people. He was both inspiring and practical at the same time. He was always inviting each of us to come to our own decisions with the tools and understanding that he shared. He puts the “good” in “do well and do good”.

Why did you choose this school’s executive MBA program? I attended a five-day continuing education course on servant leadership at Darden’s executive education program. It was taught at Darden by three EMBA professors. After the first day, I had fully bought in and called admissions. Darden focuses heavily on purpose, ethics, and leadership, with courses taught by some of the most talented instructors in the world. Experiencing that firsthand, I knew instantly I wanted to enroll in Darden’s EMBA program. I looked elsewhere, but only applied to Darden. No other school came close to Darden’s focus on personal transformation as integral to an MBA. The case method was a bonus, but simply stated — my choice was based on Darden’s focus on character, excellence, and responsibility.

Give us a story during your time as an executive MBA on how you were able to juggle work, family and education? “Juggling” suggests more coordination than I ever had during my EMBA program. For me, it was much more like packing far too many bags into the family car for the family vacation. It isn’t pretty but somehow you find the room. I was on a business trip in Nashville, and it was my anniversary. I wrapped up my meetings and raced to the airport. I landed in Chicago after the first leg of my flight home. I had just enough time during the layover to join my virtual Project Management class (which I had just done the readings for on my flight). I found a quiet spot and logged into class. The class ended just as they announced the final boarding call for my final flight home. While it was late, I did get home for at least the last hour of my anniversary.

What advice would you give to a student looking to enter an executive MBA program? If someone is interested in the EMBA, it means that, for whatever reason, the idea of working and attending school is appealing or works for them at this time in their life. I’d recommend asking themselves, “Am I up for it?” They’ll have a full-time job and on top of that will be adding an average of 25 hours a week for school. They have loved ones in their life, other commitments. If they sit with this reality and the answer to the question “am I up for it” is yes (or even “I think so”) — then I’d strongly encourage them to go for it. Obtaining my EMBA was one of the best decisions I ever made. I started the program when I was 52 and well along in my career. I didn’t love every minute, but I never once regretted the decision. It’s like having kids — more work than you anticipate and more rewarding in ways you don’t have words for until you’re in it.

Also, I wouldn’t get caught up with trying to figure out exactly what it leads to — thinking you need to know the role you’d move into once you’re done. It positions for a variety of different paths, most of which won’t appear until you’re in the program.

What was your biggest regret in business school? Not spending more time with my classmates. I’ve never been a part of a more vibrant learning community or with a more impressive cohort of individuals. My classmates are, without a doubt, some of the most impressive people I’ve ever met. The demands of the EMBA program, work, and life meant that I spent nowhere near as much time as I would have liked to with my classmates. The times I spent with them during our weekends together and global residency allowed me to build dozens of meaningful relationships. Reflecting back, I regret not spending more time with them.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Amelia DeSorrento. Amelia is one of the smartest, bravest, self-assured people I’ve ever met. During class discussions, her participation always took the conversation to new heights. Her insights on or any topic or questions about them were always unique. She sees the world and issues differently than most and her being a part of any conversation always added additional dimensions to it. Outside of the classroom, she cared deeply about our classmates and more than anyone went out of her way to try to support others in their pursuit of new jobs. She made connections, putting people in touch with each other and had a personal passion for helping others find their dream job. She’s also a mother of six who found a way to balance all the demands of family, life, work, and school in a way that was inspiring. I admire how hard she worked to show up as such an excellent student and classmate.

What was the main reason you chose an executive MBA program over part-time or online alternatives? The EMBA format was an ideal MBA format for me. I was well established in my career — in the C-Suite, in a job I loved. Leaving that for a full-time program made little sense. The choice was between the EMBA and part-time program. The EMBA offered the opportunity to be with other students that had been working for at least seven years, which I valued. Additionally, the balance of in-person and virtual and the shorter time to complete the degree all made it a perfect fit. More demanding, and well worth it.

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? To lead one of Altria’s business units (ideally one I have helped create in my current role) and leave a legacy as a leader who cared deeply about those he led, supported each of them in the ways they needed to succeed and inspired them to accomplish great things.

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