At age 48, with two decades of experience in leadership positions, says Alan Myers, “I was not pursuing an MBA to check a box.”

Instead, he explains, “I was looking for a school of a caliber that I would really learn at a rapid pace in the areas where I lack expertise. I also wanted to be surrounded by smart, motivated students, as you feed off that energy in your personal learning.”

During his first year in the Americas Track of the Executive MBA, Alan says he’s learning something in every single class that will help him do his job better. He cites the way his strong new foundation in statistics is helping him make advanced analytics a bigger part of the culture at International Paper. Understanding how the cost of capital drives investment decisions gives him a better grasp of both the business and IT sides of the company. Concepts he learned about motivation from his Organizational Behavior class have helped him manage employees. (“It’s very helpful with my college-age children as well,” he adds.)

While Alan looks forward to the international immersions in Year Two, for now his travel involves trips to and from Memphis every other weekend. But the commute has been much easier since he and his wife have become empty-nesters during their children’s time in college.

Now, he says, “We have more flexibility in our lives, so she comes with me to Nashville most weekends. As a Vanderbilt graduate herself, she likes to come over and attend sporting events or hike around Percy Warner Park while I am in class. And the time we spend together driving back and forth to Nashville makes that part much more pleasant.”

“I was not pursuing an MBA to check a box. I was looking for a school of a caliber that I would really learn at a rapid pace in the areas where I lack expertise.”