EMBA at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business: Alumni Interview

Head Risk Mitigation Consultant, FTI Consulting
Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business Executive MBA, Class of 2007

If it weren’t for his EMBA, Jim Vint believes someone else would be in the driver’s seat. He speaks with Ann Graham about the advantages of business school.

Jim Vint’s goal had always been to earn an MBA, but it took him seven years of consulting before he ventured into the business school classroom. “I still wanted to achieve that goal, without giving up professional experience while studying a full time program,” the risk mitigation consultant for Global 1000 companies says. “The EMBA program provided me the same opportunities with the same curriculum in a format that fit with my personal and professional life at that time.”

Originally from the US, Vint now lives in London with his wife Jill and daughter Madisen, and that’s all down to his Executive MBA (EMBA). “I began my EMBA in May of 2005 at The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and concluded in May 2007. Due to the format of the program, I also spent time in Seoul and Frankfurt during this time. But I felt the impact of my EMBA on my career immediately.
“In January of 2007, while in my final term, I was asked to move to London (from Chicago) that August after graduation to lead the opening of our London office along with a handful of local consulting professionals who we had recently hired. I am currently still in London helping to grow the business into mainland Europe, having assisted in the opening of offices in Frankfurt and Munich, Paris and Madrid.”

Leadership

As a risk mitigation consultant for Global 1000 companies facing internal and regulatory investigations, mergers and acquisition situations, litigation, bankruptcy, regulatory infractions and other general distress situations, Vint doesn’t believe he would have had the leadership role he currently does, had he not completed his EMBA. “I may have had the opportunity to work on engagements in the UK or EU if they arose, but someone else would have certainly been in the driver’s seat,” he says.

Regardless of how he breaks down his experiences at Fuqua, Vint says the lynchpin of the program is the people. “Whether it was learning from their diverse backgrounds in the classroom, discussing business issues over a drink, working through team projects, or simply knowing that each and every one of your classmates was also balancing family, work and school made the camaraderie and friendships that much stronger,” he says. “The screening committee and admissions team do a tremendous job in pulling together well rounded groups.”

Vint believes the greatest advantage to the EMBA is the consistent work experience that is gained during the program. “It provides a real time platform to implement ideas and actions learned during courses and to be able to bring real time experiences from all the candidates into the classroom.” However, he also recognises the benefit of the network many an EMBA graduate creates.

“Again, I go back to the people being the success of the program.  I have been lucky enough to keep in touch with a significant number of my classmates on a professional and personal basis as well as through alumni events (it also helps that more than a handful of my classmates live in / around London!)  The social network established while at school is always at play in the mind of most MBA’s.  Partly because I think deep down, much of the benefit of an MBA is, in fact, the network you create.”

An experience to share

Vint’s experience of business school is one he encourages others to share. He has already recommended two younger colleagues to attend the same program he did for many of the same reasons. “The business world can be ruthless in many ways depending on the economy, new trends, mergers, restructuring and countless other changes. EMBA programs equip their students with tools to adapt and manage change as well as provide a network of connections in the event a new opportunity is required.

“Regardless, an EMBA sets candidates apart from many other applicants in the talent pool and anything that sets you apart in that way is an asset.”