Trevor Beasley (Class of 2020) found the right fit to pursue his MBA close to home in Darden’s Executive MBA program, with its convenient format based in the Rosslyn district of Arlington, Virginia. Beasley works in Washington, D.C., as vice president for Deloitte Corporate Finance, where he provides merger and acquisition and capital markets advisory services to clients that include entrepreneurial management teams, family-owned businesses, private equity groups and corporations.
He recently shared more about his job, decision to pursue an MBA and ultimately choose Darden’s Executive MBA, and advice for future students.
What is your current job?
I work in Deloitte’s investment banking division. We provide mergers and acquisition advisory services to entrepreneurs and family-owned businesses across all sectors of the economy. I’m a vice president in our Consumer & Retail group, so my clients are food and beverage manufacturers, caterers, restaurant companies and all types of consumer packaged goods companies. My favorite part of the job is visiting my clients’ manufacturing facilities. I love seeing how the items that I buy on the grocery store shelves get produced.
Why did you decide to pursue an MBA?
An MBA has always been a long-term goal of mine. My job hinges on accounting and finance, so I wanted to supplement the skills that I had learned on the job with traditional instruction in these fields. I knew that an MBA would make me a more valuable contributor to my teams and clients.
Why did you choose Darden?
The brand and the case method. I was immediately attracted to the case method after participating in a mock case day hosted by Darden admissions. Now having participated in case discussions in my first year in the EMBA program, I can confidently say that no form of instruction is more applicable to real-life business scenarios where your role as a leader is to take incomplete information, make rational decisions, build consensus and lead others to execute on the strategy you’ve identified.
What attracted you to the executive formats of the Darden MBA?
The questions of “when to go” and “where to apply” for an MBA were always on my mind. As I progressed in my career, it made less sense for me to pursue a full-time program. When I learned about Darden’s executive format, it was immediately attractive to me because of the timeline (21 months, the same as a full-time program) and the delivery format (weekly online classes and monthly, in-person weekend residencies). The weekend residencies give me the real classroom feel and learning experience that I craved, while the distance classes enable the overall program timeline — they keep the momentum going while also allowing you to focus on your day job.
What advice do you have for prospective students?
Don’t be scared by the title “Executive” MBA! The members of the Executive MBA cohort represent diverse backgrounds, industries and years of experience, but we all have a common thread in that we are trying to round out our ability to lead teams and organizations of all sizes. If you find yourself wanting to grow as a leader, this program is a fit for you.
