Liza Ketcham is a recent graduate of Darden’s Executive MBA Class of 2024. She is currently an Account Manager at Givaudan.
She is originally from Connecticut, and attended Sewanee The University of the South as a French major. Ketcham is joining the other wahoos in her family. Her older brother attended UVA as an undergraduate student and her dad and fiancé are both Darden alums.
Her career in the fragrance industry has given her experience in a variety of roles. Now working in the consumer products space, she thinks about all the ways products with fragrance are built into daily life.
Darden has reinvigorated my love of learning.
Ketcham grew up hearing her dad telling stories about his time at Darden in the Class of 1977. When she hit 10 years at her company, she decided it was time to pursue her MBA. It was an opportunity to grow her business skills and understanding of the niche industry she was in. Even on her first date with her now fiancé, she learned more about Darden and felt encouraged to apply.
Ketcham wants to be a positive influence for candidates applying without a traditional business background.
“That’s what I love about Darden,” she said. “It’s not just people with a finance background. My classmates come from all industries, from all parts of the world. The breadth of knowledge, industry and experience, especially in the Executive MBA program, is why I sought it out.”
She recommends reaching out to alum to hear about their experiences at Darden. She had such a positive experience connecting with alums, it was the perfect introduction to the Darden network she is now part of.
Hear more about Ketcham’s experience at Darden on the ExecMBA podcast.
