Mike Barbalace

University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business

“Authentic leader, confident communicator, goal-oriented, embraces change and risk, entrepreneurial, charismatic, competitive, inquisitive, and analytical.”   

Age: 32

Hometown: Baltimore, MD (currently live in Annapolis, MD)

Fun fact about yourself: I have two golden retrievers and one was adopted from Turkey.

Undergraduate School and Degree: University of Maryland, Robert H. Smith School of Business – BS, Finance and Operations Management

Where are you currently working? Savills, Inc. – Account Director and Transaction Manager

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? CoStar Power Broker Award. This award is given to the top commercial real estate brokers in the area based on transaction volume. My two partners and I earned this recognition during COVID when the industry was highly disrupted.

Why did you choose this school’s online MBA program? Smith’s OMBA was highly reputable and consistently ranked a top-tier online MBA program. I was blown away by the programs, resources, faculty and staff, and opportunities that Smith had to offer during undergrad. It was a no-brainer to continue my education in business at Smith.

What was your favorite part of being in an online MBA program?  The flexibility to attend class from anywhere in the world. During the last night of my honeymoon, I attended a finance class virtually from Madrid, Spain.

What was the most surprising thing about an online learning environment? Although I was online and did not meet many of my classmates in person, I was still able to foster and develop many strong relationships with my classmates and professors. Building a strong network of future business leaders was also a main decision to pursue an MBA.

How did your online experience compare with your in-the-classroom experience as an undergraduate student? There are certainly more distractions during my online experience compared to my experience in the classroom as an undergraduate student. My job, the cellphone, my dogs, and personal scheduling conflicts posed as challenges that I needed to properly manage through discipline, focus, and time management to excel throughout the OMBA program. There have been many times that I found myself taking a Zoom group project call on the road or writing a paper while on an airplane to keep up with the workload. The key is to be as productive as possible with the limited time that you have for schoolwork.

What is your best piece of advice to an applicant for thriving in an online MBA program? Take advantage of as many resources as possible. Even if you are comfortable in your job, attend networking events, join clubs, and visit career resources. There are so many resources that students don’t know exist. This program will come and go before you know it so take advantage of what the school, faculty, and staff have to offer.

How has your online education helped you in your current job? My online education has helped tremendously in my current job. I work in a remote setting and most of my meetings are virtual. The OMBA program at Smith has helped further develop my business acumen and given me the confidence to effectively manage teams, communicate with confidence in person and virtually, and excel in leadership positions.

Did you earn a promotion while in the program or immediately after graduation? I earned a promotion while in the program and am on track for another by the end of the year. Promotion from a local commercial real estate brokerage role to more of a national strategic corporate real estate consulting role.

Why did you pursue an online MBA program instead of a full-time residential program? I did not have the luxury of having my company reimburse me for my MBA or pay for me to attend a full-time residential program. Working full-time allowed me to fund my MBA and the part-time program provided flexibility at the pace of a full-time residential program. It was like the best of both worlds.

Number of Hours Per Week Spent on an Online MBA: 20-30 hours

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? My goal is to either start a private equity-backed investment firm that acquires, owns, and operates commercial real estate or run a middle-market firm.

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