Desi Wyatt ’00

Fast Track Executive MBA

How he came to choose VCU

When I was in the military, I was looking to transition into the civilian sector.  I had researched many business schools around the country, and living in Richmond, I truly didn’t want to move out of the local area.  I looked at Duke, William & Mary, UVA, and I saw something unique in the Fast Track Executive MBA program.  Upon interviewing with the staff here, I really felt that it was a place where I could grow.  And also I continued serving my country in the Army at the same time.

The benefit of modules

When I look back on the academic experience, a differentiating factor of this program was that the modules were all integrated.  It wasn’t one weekend you take a finance class, and then the next weekend you take a marketing class.  It was every weekend a little bit of marketing, of computer science, a little bit of IT, a little bit of statistical analysis, all wrapped up into one weekend, so literally when you go back to work on Monday, you can immediately apply what you’ve learned in a cross-functional environment.  The business world’s very complex, so to have those modules in place definitely does prepare us for the real world.

Why he’d recommend the Fast Track Executive MBA program

The curriculum I found to be extremely demanding, challenging.  The dynamics and the teams we worked in were just phenomenal.  I think about the support structure.  It’s one of the best out there.  I think they do everything that they can to create an environment of higher learning and an appreciation for the degree that you’re seeking.

How he uses his degree now

Upon graduating from the VCU MBA program, I was hired to work for GE, and there I was a Six Sigma Black Belt.  So right away, I was taking a lot of the process rigor of the academic program and applying it to the workforce.  Now, I’m currently a financial advisor with Smith Barney.  The entrepreneurial experience of the MBA program has truly helped me build my practice at Smith Barney.

  More on the Fast Track Executive MBA 

  About the Traditional VCU MBA 

  Graduate Studies in Business