Throughout his engineering career—first in his native Turkey, and then in the U.S.—Burak Usanmaz built what he describes as a strong technical background. “What I was looking for next,” he says, “was to expand my strategic thinking ability to gain a broader perspective and make high-impact business decisions.”

Vanderbilt’s Executive MBA program stood out to him, not only because Nashville is an easy drive from Bowling Green, Kentucky, where Burak works, but because of “the great networking opportunities, thanks to the smaller class sizes, and the quality of the faculty, so many of whom are highly successful business professionals themselves.”

Classes taught by two of those professors, Michael Bowling and Michael Burcham, were among the highlights of Burak’s time in the program. Professor Bowling’s Global Strategy course, he says, “had a profound impact on my experience. By applying business strategy frameworks to global expansion, he emphasized the essential skills required for a global executive.”

Professor Burcham’s Launching the Venture class, in which participants plan and start an actual business, likewise made a lasting impression—not least because a panel of industry professionals awarded Burak and his team second place in the competition hosted within the course. “Learning to build a business from the ground up was a great experience for me,” he says, “and I will never forget the moment that Michael Burcham announced my team had received a second ranking.”  

The “team”—carefully assembled to replicate a corporate C-team’s diverse responsibilities and backgrounds—was another definitive part of Burak’s Vanderbilt experience. “One of my favorite memories,” he says, “was working late nights with our team on the Launching the Venture project. The camaraderie, problem-solving discussions, and shared ambition created an unforgettable experience.”   

The close working relationships, in turn, helped Burak expand his professional network, which was further enhanced by the program’s intentionally small size. “The opportunity to build a strong and lasting professional network,” he notes, “is one of Vanderbilt’s key differentiators.

“The program has provided me with the leadership, problem-solving, and networking skills to succeed in a global business environment, and it has positioned me well for leadership roles by enhancing my ability to analyze complex problems and execute strategic decisions.”