P&Q’s Must Reads: A Wharton MBA, Born In India, Will Now Lead One Of The World’s Iconic Brands

Hello everyone  –- Welcome back to Poets&Quants’ Must Reads, a quick, digestible recap of the top business school news, sponsored by CentreCourt, P&Q’s virtual admission events.

I’m your host, Kristy Bleizeffer, and I’ll be highlighting the most important P&Q stories you might have missed. So, let’s get to it. 

No. 1: A Wharton MBA, Born In India, Will Now Lead One Of The World’s Iconic Brands

Starting in October, Starbucks will have a new CEO. 

The journey to the top of one of the world’s most iconic brands was at one time unimaginable for Laxman Narsimhan. Born in Pune, India, Laxman went on to earn an MBA at Wharton in the 1990s, selling his belongings and borrowing money to arrange his studies in the U.S.

This story, by Poets&Quants editor, recounts how Laxman paved his way to be named the successor to Howard Shultz. He joins a growing list of Indian-origin CEOs taking charge of major U.S. companies.

You can read the story now on our homepage. 

No. 2: UVA Darden’s New Part-Time MBA In DC

Last month, University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business welcomed the first cohort in its first part-time MBA offering on its campus in Washington, D.C. 

The new program allows Darden to tap into the Washington, D.C., market beyond its already existing Executive MBA plays there. It also makes Darden only the sixth school ranked in the top 12 to offer a part-time MBA option.

John Byrne tracked down a few of the 68 students who gathered for the week-long residency to ask why they chose the new part-time option. Read their stories in UVA Darden’s New Part-Time MBA In DC, in our news tab.

 No. 3: Meet Stanford’s MSx Fellows

Stanford’s Graduate School of Business has announced the class profile for its MSx Class of 2023, a full-time, one-year accelerated masters.

Stanford’s MSx is one of three elite, one-year intensive, mid-career management programs in the world created through the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. MIT Sloan School of Management and London Business School also offer their own versions of the Sloan Fellowship.

We talked to three of the elite professionals – an MD who wants to upskill, an India founder looking to grow his startups, and a military veteran making a pivot. You can read their stories, and more details on the 2023 class, now on our homepage.

No. 4: Our Weekly Round Up of  News You Can Use

No matter where you are in your MBA journey, we bring several helpful stories for you this week.

First up: For those nearing the end of their journey and looking at what comes next, we offer this story: The Top In-Demand Skills Employers Are Seeking. It highlights the skills author Bernard Marr says employers are looking for in a digital world. 

Next: For those looking for the right programs, we have the latest class profile from Michigan Ross. It, like other elite programs, also saw a downturn in applications this year, causing an 8% jump in acceptance rates. You can find other class profiles from the top b-schools in our admissions tab. 

Finally, if you’re considering an MBA and wonder if you have what it takes, check out our collection of MBA profiles in our annual Class Of series. Meet the MBA Class of 2024 profiles a dozen students each from 45 of the world’s top full-time MBA programs.

And, that’s it for this week’s Must Reads recap. 

I also want to alert all the school seekers out there to CentreCourt’s upcoming MBA Festival events. Our next series, The MBA & Your Career, is happening October 4-5, and you can register for free on our events tab. 

For those interested in online MBAs, our next backstage event is November 15-16. Register now for free.

Again, I’m Kristy Bleizeffer, and you can join me next week, right here, for a recap of what’s important in the world of business education. Thanks for listening and, as always, stay informed!