The vice president of business development and strategy at Medtronic, the largest medical device company in the world, Descotte is also a 75th Anniversary Scholar in the Executive MBA Program Chicago. Here’s her story.
Post-COVID-19, I was eager to connect with people and learn new things. As a lifelong learner, I felt it was important to go back out into the world and discover new perspectives, learn from others, and seek to understand, among many other things, how the pandemic had forever changed the global economy. In pursuing an EMBA, I am seeking not so much a degree but an opportunity to learn and grow into the best leader I can be. I was looking for an experience that would take me outside my comfort zone and push me to think differently.
If you are going to do something, I believe you might as well do it as best you can. Booth is one of the best business schools in the world, and the combination of academic rigor, cutting-edge research, and the best community of professors, students, and staff I could ever dream of—well, there was really no other choice for me. Add the opportunity to travel, take classes in London and Hong Kong, and meet so many incredible people with such diverse experiences and points of view, and there is no program like it.
Academic rigor, intellectual curiosity, the pursuit of knowledge: these are the things that resonate with me most. Sustainability and social responsibility are also important. Finally and most importantly, the people—the professors, the staff, and of course my fellow students. I could not have asked for a better environment in which to learn, engage in intellectual debate, and form lifelong friendships.
To be honest, I got so emotional that I couldn’t speak. I think when you receive a gift so unexpected, you are filled with immense gratitude and a deep commitment to contribute and honor this incredible opportunity.
It’s almost impossible to pick one thing. The entire journey is memorable in and of itself. I am constantly pinching myself, making sure this is real. If I have to pick one, I’ll go with the first week of school. Meeting my classmates and spending the entire week together, getting to know the amazing human beings they are and how lucky we are that we will now be connected for life ... it was so powerful, and further cemented how incredibly fortunate I am to be part of this community.
Two words: DO IT. I promise you, there are no words to describe what an incredible program this is. It is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Wherever you are in your life and your career, do this for yourself. Not for the ROI post-EMBA, but for the journey that will change your life. You will be challenged, your worldview will be expanded, and you will learn from the best professors and fellow students in the world.