It’s fair to say that Victor Kareh embraces challenges. After graduating from the United States Military Academy, he completed the U.S. Army Ranger School and a helicopter pilot course. In Afghanistan, he commanded a company of 108 soldiers in an aviation task force.  

Several years after transitioning to civilian life with Schneider Electric (he majored in electrical engineering at West Point), Victor was ready for another challenge: a full-time Executive MBA program.

At Schneider, Victor earned two promotions in three years, transitioning from a project manager role to IT. During his first year in his new role, he led a team that diagnosed cost and delivery issues throughout North America. When their recommendations were implemented, fulfillment rates jumped from 60% to 98%, and the company saved $1 million annually.

Despite successes like these, Victor believed his skill set was incomplete. “I had been learning through trial and error and OTJ factors,” he says. “I was looking for a more structured program to fill in the gaps and help me learn more about areas of business that I had limited exposure to, due to my current or past roles.”

He was also looking for a program that was nearby and prestigious, and one that offered an in-person class experience. “It was important for me to meet and spend time with other professionals in Middle Tennessee,” he says.

After his first year, Victor concluded that “the program has helped distinguish me from my peers [at Schneider] for my self-investment and commitment. I can look at the decisions that my company and competitors make, better understand the context, and make my own decisions accordingly.”

Before the end of that first year, Victor received a “significant promotion” based on his enhanced potential. “I have had several conversations with senior organizational leaders about future opportunities, fueled by starting discussions about my Owen experience,” he says.

For Victor, a critical part of that experience has taken place outside of the classroom. “My advice to people considering the program,” he says, “is to think not only about the academic curriculum, but also the networking and peer learning opportunities. This program offers so much more than a diploma.”