Donor & Recipient Stories
James Whittaker, 10WEMBA
Services Sales Support Consultant/Team Lead, Hewlett Packard Co.
A changed Executive MBA climate
Goizueta's Executive MBA Programs are soaring. Recently named #7 in the world by BusinessWeek and #1 in the Southeast Region in the magazine’s ranking of all global Executive MBA degree programs, Goizueta sets the standard for Executive MBA education.
However, given the substantial decrease in the number of companies sponsoring their top talent to pursue an MBA, offering scholarships to deserving Executive MBA students is more critical than ever. The EMBA Scholarship, initiated by the 05 Executive MBA students as their class gift and through subsequent gifts from donors like you, we are able to recognize James Whittaker, 10 WEMBA for his outstanding added value to the class.
James is a Services Sales Support Consultant at Hewlett-Packard. As the Team Lead, James is charged with leading a team of support consults by creating and managing sales programs, designing training sessions and driving the increase of IT sales through the team they support. . His passion in finding solutions to any challenge drove him last year in outside sales to develop multiple pilot programs, two of which resulted in national rollouts. James has a BBA in Professional Sales from Kennesaw State University, 1 of only 5 institutions offering this program nationally. His passion to help solve challenges also flows into the community. He has been a volunteer youth leader for high school teens for over ten years, works with many local organizations, and speaks at community events.
An Eye-Opening Experience
James' background already included a few start-up ventures and stints at large corporations. He knew that the he already had a very solid business groundwork in place, but that he needed to take the leap to the next level with his education to be best prepared to pursue his long term entrepreneurial goals. "Helping other with start-ups and finding innovative solutions to complex challenges is what I really enjoy." His career at HP has been tremendously satisfying and he has been pleased to have been able to apply much of what he has learned back to his job. While he truly enjoys HP, he admits that the Executive MBA experience at Goizueta has opened his eyes to so many other opportunities and that in the end the entrepreneurial route may be for him.
James was also trilled to see that everyone in the class brought something to the table and was able to contribute given the diversity of backgrounds. “I knew Goizueta was the best place to be. It is not about the piece of paper. It is about the experience and if you really apply yourself, you can do it.” James also remarks that there have been a tremendous number of "ah-ha" moments during the program. “I am now seeing the underlying patterns in things that I always knew were there, but never completely understood before when designing strategies and making decisions. There are so many interrelated pieces that help form a more complete solution. I now see so many more connections between decision and information analysis, strategy and finance...I see the big picture in a completely new way."
What the Scholarship Means
The Executive MBA scholarship was a pleasant surprise for James and it reaffirmed for him that others recognized that he was someone who could really offer a lot to the program and for that, he is truly grateful. “I am paying my own way through the program and the scholarship added the extra element of ‘I should be here and I can make it’. Still, James agrees that the perception is that EMBA students may not need scholarship support, but with fewer companies offering financial support/incentive, the opposite is true. "The need is definitely there for this scholarship. Unfortunately some people may think that they can’t do it or have to drop out for financial reasons alone."
Your support for scholarships for students like James helps Goizueta remain a leader in Executive MBA education attract the most talented executive-level students. Explore how the scholarships and financial support you provide help students at Goizueta achieve their highest potential. > More