Chantal Mekhail is part of Darden’s Executive MBA Class of 2025. In her current role as Senior Manager of Product Management – Tech; Prime Video, she leads a team of engineers and data scientists. The team focuses on shaping what viewers watch by tailoring algorithms to connect people with content.
Mekhail pursued her MBA to deepen her business acumen, allowing her to grow her skills as a manager and effective leader. After earning an undergraduate degree in Finance from Virginia Tech, her career in products management started to blossom at the intersection of design, business and technology. As she grew in her career, she search for a place with experiential learning. The Executive MBA at Darden fit the bill. What she learns in the classroom can be implemented in her day-to-day at Amazon in real time.
Returning to a student mindset while working full time was quite a transition. Mehkail used a method called “time boxing” to help her adjust to the new schedule during the first few months of the program. As a generally scheduled and organized person, she found support from her cohort. When entering a competitive and demanding program, the students bond quickly and support each other across many aspects of life.
In choosing or considering an MBA format, I knew I wanted to do something that would combine my direct experience as a worker within a larger company with focused reflection. I ultimately decided that an Executive MBA path would offer me a lot more real time reflection compared to the Full-Time MBA path.
As a Batten Scholar, Mekhail is passionate about technology and innovation. The community of scholars she joined have been influential during her time at Darden so far. The Batten Scholars program provides scholarships for exceptional students admitted to Darden’s Full-Time, Part-Time, and Executive MBA programs. This highly competitive program is sponsored and administered by the Batten Institute, a Darden center of excellence focused on entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology.
To hear more about Mekhail’s experiences at Darden, check out this episode of the ExecMBA Podcast. She discusses her decision to pursue an MBA, what led her to Darden, the impact of her time in the Executive MBA program, her experience as a Batten Scholar and more.
