Christian Lundblad, UNC (Kenan-Flagler)
“There were many excellent faculty throughout the course, so it’s tough to choose just one. Professor Jo Seung-Gyu, who taught our microeconomics course, definitely stood out. He demonstrated an impressive level of academic rigor, covering complex concepts such as utility theory and game theory, and some practical examples in behavioral economics. To me, he stood out because of his humorous and engaging teaching style, which made challenging topics enjoyable and interactive. I think we will never think about a red-spider the same way again! Thanks to Prof. Jo’s approach, the class not only grasped difficult content but also became closer, which was important given this was one of the earlier modules in our EMBA journey.”
Antonie Jagga, National University of Singapore
“There are so many wonderful professors at UNC Kenan-Flagler. For me, Christian Lundblad was my favorite. Christian taught one of our core courses, Global Economics, which connected macroeconomic concepts and theories with real-world events that were playing out as we were in the course. Christian delivered the course in a way that was incredibly real and engaging; his intelligence, authenticity and charisma were always on full display and represent what I consider to be the ideal professor. Christian is someone I feel you could chat with for hours about current market and macroeconomic events in the classroom or your favorite local bar over drinks.”
Matt Wentzel, North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler)
“Choosing a favorite MBA professor is no small task at Kellogg, given the exceptional faculty. However, Professor Mohanbir Sawhney stands out distinctly. Professor Sawhney leads Tech Venture India (TVI), a global elective opportunity that is supported by Colette Feldges. TVI is a deeply immersive hands-on experience in every industry and every sector in essentially the Silicon Valley of India. Professor Sawhney’s commitment to students extends beyond the classroom; he generously opens his personal network and even his home, embodying Kellogg’s ethos of delivering high impact with humility.
Yes, you have the technical and business learnings of emerging technologies, but this experience is one that leads to the development of a friendship and professional network that expands beyond the classroom or even your time at Kellogg. Professor Sawhney goes above-and-beyond, making himself available, connecting you to individuals in his network that can specifically help you on your passion and work despite the high demands on his time. TVI left me deeply inspired me to make a difference, to be willing to make mistakes, and fail often and cheaply. One of my many favorite quotes from this trip was, “If you can dream it, you can do it; you become the dream and the dream becomes you.”
Amandeep K. Chawla, Northwestern University (Kellogg)
“Dr. Harvey Rosenblum. While teaching the intricacies and nuances of policymaking is an art, Professor Rosenblum—the former executive vice president of the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank—instilled a habit into his students. Rarely have we been so captivated in a class, eagerly anticipating the release of FOMC meeting minutes. By unraveling the dynamics of monetary policy, financial institutions, and markets, Professor Rosenblum ignited our ability to think like policymakers. He encouraged us to contemplate how economic decisions reverberate in our personal lives. His genuine investment shapes us into thoughtful leaders.”
Bindu Challapalli, Southern Methodist University (Cox)
“Dr. Ken McFarland was my favorite MBA professor because his teachings on leadership and executive performance had a profound impact on my success. He helped me overcome the impostor syndrome I had unknowingly carried for so long, providing me with the confidence to fully embrace my capabilities. His top-notch business acumen and unmatched expertise in developing human capital were invaluable. Moreover, he had a unique ability to help us internalize and truly digest the program’s content. Dr. McFarland is a wellspring of knowledge, wisdom, experience, and kindness, making him an exceptional mentor and educator.”
Aida E. Adams, Texas A&M (Mays)
Douglas Guilbeault, UC Berkeley (Haas)
“Although the entire faculty at Berkeley Haas is incredible, two professors really stood out to me–Douglas Guilbeault and Peter D. Goodson. Both are extraordinary in their own right. They opened my eyes to the profound power of relationships and human connection. They led with expertise and genuine care, making us feel truly valued. At the same time, their high expectations pushed us to exceed our limitations. The classes were dynamic and included multimodal teaching strategies, ensuring the content resonated and remained ingrained in our minds long after classes ended. Their dedication to both the subject matter and developing industry leaders exemplifies true mentorship. They both left a lasting mark on my EMBA journey.”
Liz Castelli, U.C. Berkeley (Haas)
“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”.
Michael Thorne-Begland, University of Virginia (Darden)
“John Rudd, my marketing professor. John is an exceptional educator. He has an obvious passion for his subject, loves teaching, is engaged, and cares deeply about the students. He takes time to listen and engage the class, facilitating knowledge from the classroom. His feedback is speedy, ample, precise, and gives absolute clarity on how the work could be improved in the future. He’s been a great teacher and friend during this journey.”
Alistair Crawford, Warwick Business School
“I was fortunate to learn from many incredible professors throughout my time at Wharton, each of whom has significantly impacted my academic journey. Professor Kevin Kaiser stands out as my favorite professor. I had the opportunity to take two courses with him, Corporate Restructuring and Valuation.
When I reflect on my experience in Professor Kaiser’s courses, I am reminded of a BBC documentary I watched a few years ago on Fermat’s Last Theorem. Mathematician Andrew Wiles explains, “Perhaps I can best describe my experience of doing mathematics in terms of entering a dark mansion. One goes into the first room, and it’s dark, completely dark. One stumbles around bumping into the furniture. And gradually you learn where each piece of furniture is. And finally, after six months or so, you find the light switch, you turn it on, and suddenly it’s all illuminated, you can see exactly where you were.”
Throughout Professor Kaiser’s courses, I went through the process of being forced to be in the dark and find my way, forced to bump into concepts and question what I thought I understood. Through this process of being challenged, I learned to truly see, and by the end of his courses, my understanding was fully illuminated.
Instead of merely teaching us the mechanics of performing a valuation, we engaged in extensive discussions on the principles of finance. These conceptual discussions encouraged us to question our preconceptions and helped us gain a much deeper understanding of finance through the process. As students, we learned to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, a teaching method aimed at making us anti-fragile. Professor Kaiser’s commitment to student engagement is evident from the generosity with which he shares his time outside of class. His willingness to extend our discussions well beyond scheduled class times and offer impromptu office hours enriched our learning experience.
I have gained a much deeper understanding of value creation and value destruction through Professor Kaiser’s courses. My ability to recognize the difference will be a major asset throughout my professional career. Professor Kaiser has had a profound impact on my life. He forced us to struggle. He forced us to learn how to stumble and feel our way through the dark. We are so much better for having gone through the experience.
I went to Wharton expecting I was going to find all the answers. In Professor Kaiser’s classes, I learned that it is far more important to understand all the questions that need to be asked. It is far more important to understand why.”
James Garcia, Wharton School
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