On 10 January, the Darden Career Center welcomed first-year Executive MBA and Part-Time MBA students to the Career Exploration Event, an immersive day designed to make career possibilities feel more concrete, accessible, and actionable. As the capstone of the Professional Advancement Course, the event left students with greater clarity and confidence in their career plans – either strengthening their existing trajectory or revealing a new path to explore.
With approximately 150 students, 68 alumni panelists and approximately 100 virtual participants, this event is one of the largest annual events held at Sands Family Grounds. It has become a signature event that introduces students to the world-class Darden network while showcasing the career possibilities of a Darden MBA. Tapping into the network of over 19,000 Darden alumni, this event drew on the collective knowledge of both new graduates and established leaders in the business world. The clear sense of community that is a hallmark of the Darden experience allowed students to ask candid questions, receiving transparency in return.
A Welcome from Leadership
The day kicked off with breakfast overlooking the Potomac River and a welcome from Jeff McNish, Senior Assistant Dean for the Career Center and Professional Development, and Vice Dean Melissa Thomas-Hunt. They encouraged students to engage fully, ask thoughtful questions and treat the day as a chance to “venture out into undiscovered territory” and search for insights that spark curiosity for
Ready to take on the day, students headed off to concurrent panel sessions where they could follow interest areas and dive deeper into their existing functions and expand their horizons. Each of the 14 panels were also streamed via Zoom to allow for virtual engagement.
Maximizing the Impact of Concurrent Sessions
The intentional design of the day meant that no single student could attend every session. To allow students to explore each session on their own time and maximize their reach, panels were recorded and distributed after the fact. These recordings are also made available to all Darden students across degree formats expanding the impact of the alumni engagement.
Highlighted Panels
Highlighted below are six panels from the day:
- Consulting/Corporate Strategy
- Business Development / Sales
- General Management/Operations
- Careers in Technology
- Not-for-Profit
- Pivot: How to Rebrand, Refocus, and Take the Next Step
Explore the eight remaining summaries here →
Consulting / Corporate Strategy Panel Session
Moderated by Catherine Manfre (MBA ’14) with panelists Jen Chaquette (EMBA ’24), Haritha Ghatam (EMBA ’18), Varshik Nimmagadda (MBA ’17), and Mike Russell (MBA ’17), this panel session opened in classic Darden fashion with a cold call. The responses quickly surfaced what students most wanted the know – what the work looks like day-to-day, how career progression works and how to evaluate fit.
Two sides of the same coin, corporate strategy was framed as internal, high-priority problem solving where ambiguity is normal and success must often be defined collaboratively; consulting was described as externally oriented, client-responsive work that rewards structured thinking and influence. As Nimmagadda put it, “90 percent of consulting work is influencing people behind the scenes to get stuff done.”
Business Development / Sales Panel Session
Led by moderator Collins Marshall (EMBA ’22) alongside Allan Barmak (EMBA ’23), Corinne Bishop (EMBA ’21), Mary Jo Lampe (MBA ’96), and Jemuir Rivers (EMBA ’22), the business development and sales panel reframed the sales and business development function as disciplined and customer-centered problem-solving rather than “smooth talking.” Panelists emphasized that effectiveness, regardless of industry, comes from understanding stakeholder constraints and communicating value clearly. Bishop also nodded to the importance of building your own resilience through inevitable setbacks – especially in quota-driven environments. One question that arose during the session was centered on the ethics of sales – a very “Darden” line of thinking. All the panelists agreed: belief in the value of what you sell is not optional and knowing when to walk away is part of your professional judgment. Lampe shared that success hinges on your faith in product. “If you can’t get behind what you’re selling, don’t work there.”
General Management / Operations Panel Session
With Albert Mirzoyan (EMBA ’18) moderating and panelists Indy Adenaw (MBA ’08), Amanda Baxter (EMBA ’23), Skip Calvert (EMBA ’19), and Julie Vianello (MBA ’07), the general management and operations panel defined the field as the work of setting direction, aligning teams and delivering consistently across geographies, time zones and stakeholder priorities.
A guiding theme throughout the session was that operational excellence is inseparable from people leadership. Success in general management comes from building trust early, managing conflict productively and explaining the “why” so teams can execute with clarity. Unsurprisingly, students raised the question of return-to-work versus remote policies. Overall, panelists were in favor of return-to-work for several reasons while remaining empathetic and realistic about the positive aspects of remote policies. Focusing on the individuals, Mirzoyan cited challenges with early career growth and development in remote-only environments. Looking toward organizational health, Calvert highlighted the benefits of operational alignment between team members in the field and corporate functions.
Careers in Technology Panel Session
Moderated by Chris Barnett (EMBA ’09) with panelists Courtney Johnston (EMBA ’12), Celina M’Bale (MSBA ’21), Genna Moderhack (MBA ’19), and JB Norcott (EMBA ’23), the technology session focused on how careers are built in environments defined by ambiguity, rapid iteration and cross-functional dependency.
Panelists emphasized translating strategy into action, learning the “language” of technical teams without needing to be the deepest technical expert and choosing roles based on actual scope rather than titles. During the Q&A portion, students brought forward hot-topics of AI in the workplace. This conversation elicited a near consensus: AI is both an advantage to employees and a leadership test – use it to remove low-value work but keep your judgment sharp and your thinking differentiated.
Not-for-Profit Panel Session
Moderated by Greg Dyson (MBA 1986) with panelists Yaro Hetman (MBA ’11), Keith Krut (EMBA ’13), Laura Pettus (GEMBA ’18), and Tanya Tolpegin (MBA ’94), the not-for-profit panel balanced mission with the operational realities required to deliver measurable impact.
Dyson pointed out “not-for-profit is a tax status, not a business model” as a way to frame his strategic approach to leading organizations. The panel also discussed governance, resourcing tradeoffs and the emotional load that can come with mission-driven work.
Pivoting: How to Rebrand, Refocus, and Take the Next Step
The day wrapped up with a new session moderated by Senior Assistant Dean, Jeff McNish with panelists Michael Finnegan (MBA ’07), Uday Gupta (MBA ’04), Crissie Hall (GEMBA ’17), and Kristin Westmoreland (EMBA ’16).
Fielding questions from the packed room, panelists described moments when they were no longer motivated by the “next rung of the ladder” and outlined what made their pivots successful. A common theme throughout focused on non-transactional relationship-building versus cold outreach networking and remaining introspective throughout your professional life. The closing advice was both candid and empowering – act with intention, stay authentic and remember that a pivot is rarely a final door closing.
Recap the Day
The following summaries were generated from the session recordings with the assistance of AI.
Investment / Asset Management (Host: Rodney Sullivan; Panelists: Derek Allen (EMBA ’22), Celia Dallas (MBA ’96), John Richmond (EMBA ’22), Lauren Weishaar (EMBA ’22)) This session emphasized the evolution of the field, including the growth of private wealth and private markets and the increasing use of AI as both a productivity tool and a differentiator.
Corporate Finance (Host: Mike Winston (EMBA ’20); Panelists: Bob McMurtry (EMBA 2022), Mike Sicoli (MBA ’96), Chloe Thornhill (EMBA ’21)) Panelists clarified corporate finance as a cross-enterprise “nerve center” guiding capital allocation and decision-making, with optionality to engage across strategy, operations, technology and growth priorities.
Careers in Energy (Host: Brian Drinkwine (EMBA ’13); Panelists: Manoj Bhattarai (EMBA ’18), Paul Edwards (EMBA ’23), Joshua Hodge (EMBA ’13), Katie Schieltz (MBA ’10)) highlighted how energy careers now span technology, infrastructure and electrification well beyond traditional oil and gas pathways.
Entrepreneurship (Host: Omar Garriott (UVA ’02); Panelists: Amelia DeSorrento (EMBA ’24), Brian Larsen (EMBA ’20), Rashidah Lawson (EMBA ’25), Patrick Weeks (EMBA ’18)) framed entrepreneurship as a career-long capability and pointed students to the Batten Institute resources for exploring and testing ideas.
Chief of Staff Roles (Host: Gary Raizon (EMBA ’22); Panelists: Ian Crumley (EMBA ’21), Ruchi Parikh (MBA ’18), Adam Yates (MBA ’20)) described the role as a high-trust “force multiplier,” defined by prioritization, influence without authority and translating leadership intent into execution.
Real Estate (Host: Keven Lindemann (UVA ’91); Panelists: Tara Dilmaghani (MBA ’25), Rich Ellis (MBA ’07), John Kevill (UVA ’90), Elizabeth Johnston (MBA ’04)) explored how investing and operating decisions intersect with risk management and how professionals evaluate opportunity amid shifting market conditions.
Careers in Marketing (Host: Rachel Richelieu (EMBA ’10); Panelists: Karin Bergqvist (MBA ’08), Ellen Johnson (EMBA ’26), Sarah Kassoff (EMBA ’18), Katelyn Sloan (EMBA ’23)) focused on how marketers earn influence by tying insights and storytelling to business outcomes and demonstrating measurable impact.
Veterans Panel (Host: Ben Nichols (EMBA 2026); Panelists: Bobbi Doorenbos (EMBA ’23), Gary Grimes (EMBA ’14), Emily McMahan (EMBA ’10), Sean Taylor (EMBA ’22)) created a practical forum for translating military experience, avoiding ill-fitting roles and leveraging the veteran and alumni community for guidance and opportunity.
From Exploration to Action
Across the day, UVA and Darden alumni speakers emphasized real narratives over prescribed pathways. They shared what surprised them about their paths, how they navigated inflection points and what they wish they had asked sooner to better understand and advance in their industries. If the PAC Career Exploration Event had a unifying message, it was that confidence in your career comes from clarity of yourself.
The Darden Career Center extends sincere thanks to the alumni, faculty and staff who invested their time and perspective, and to the first-year EMBA and PTMBA students who showed up ready to explore beyond familiar paths and learn from lived experience.
