Classroom to C Suite
Anthony M. Grieco, MD, MBA
National Deputy Chief medical Officer
Aetna, a CVS Health Company
"I honestly loved this program"
I found Southeastern Louisiana University's Executive MBA program to be exactly the right fit for me. In 2011-2012, I was transitioning from a clinical career and becoming a physician executive. The SELU EMBA program offered a Health Care Management track, with a challenge curriculum, which has been very helpful in understanding the business aspects of the health care industry. The program was well-designed for busy professionals with a blend fo on-campus Saturday lectures and in-between weeks to work on projects with your colleagues. The hand-selected faculty was outstanding and their interest in the students was unsurpassed. I was astounded at the low cost of this program which delivered outstanding value and quality. having my MBA has allowed me to sit confidently at the leadership table with my medical knowledge AND with business knowledge. This has often make the difference in being selected for a promotion. I have worked hard as a physician executive and have continued to advance in my career. I look back fondly at the SELU MBA program, its outstanding professors, and the lifelong friends that I met. I honestly loved this program.
Lori Ward, J.D.
President and CEO
Marrero Land and Improvement
Association, Limited
"It is undoubtedly the best return on investment you will find"
When I was admitted into the Southeastern Louisiana University Executive MBA program in 2012, I had held the position of General Counsel/Director of Corporate Affairs at a real estate development corporation for the previous eleven years. It was my goal at that time to be considered for a future role in the Company’s succession of management. In a step toward that goal, I decided to obtain a Master of Business Administration degree. Having graduated from law school twenty-five years earlier, it had been a while since I was last in school, but I believed this step to be necessary to accomplish future goals and to attain the knowledge necessary to successfully carry out the positions I sought.
Wanting to find the best program in the area, I meticulously researched all the EMBA programs in the area weighing the pros and cons of each before deciding on the Executive MBA program at Southeastern. The Bloomberg Business Center, testimonials from former students, and in-depth discussions with the Director of the program, Dr. John Cresson, were some of the factors instrumental in my decision process. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Dr. Cresson and the exceptional faculty he amassed were committed to offering a top-notch degree program. As Dr. Cresson often said, the program was “challenging, but doable!” Based on my experience, I found that description to be quite accurate. Despite studying every free minute I could find while working full-time over the course of the program, I actually found myself looking forward to the long day of classes on Saturdays. In addition to the arduous courses, one of the most beneficial aspects of the EMBA program to me was the interaction during the classes with other experienced professionals in the program and the exceptional faculty. This interaction was invaluable. As a matter of fact, I have maintained contact with many of my fellow EMBA candidates as well as faculty members who have continued to make themselves available over the years since I graduated.
I can say that as a direct result of the MBA degree I received from Southeastern’s Executive MBA program in 2013 and the knowledge I gained therefrom, I was promoted to Executive Vice President in 2019 and ultimately named President and CEO of the Company in 2022.
I am thankful for the experience and highly recommend this Executive MBA program. In my opinion, it is undoubtedly the best return on investment you will find.
Jason Latiolais
President/CEO
Barriere Construction
"I still use a lot of what I learned every day even after being out of the program for almost 5 years now. The completion of the program helped set me apart when promotion opportunities arose in the company"
After 9 years in the work force, my supervisor, the owner of my company (Barriere Construction), approached me about furthering my education through an EMBA program. I was encouraged to apply to local universities such as Tulane and LSU which I did but my heart was set on attending Southeastern due to the great experience I had during my undergraduate career there. I met with all three universities and was accepted to all but the time I spent with Dr. Cresson during the interview process really sold me on Southeastern. Dr. Cresson’s passion for what Southeastern had created with the class sizes, curriculum, etc. was infectious and even Barriere’s owner (Peter Wilson), who is a Tulane EMBA graduate, agreed that attending SLU would be the right place for me. I was accepted into the program and was slated to be part of the Class of 2016 cohort. However, one month prior to the start of classes, Barriere was awarded the largest project in the company’s history and the anticipation was that the company needed me to run the project through 2016. The decision was made by Peter that there would be no way that I could do both the EMBA program and run the project because I would not be able to dedicate myself fully to both. I was concerned that by pulling out of the program only one month from the start I would not be given another opportunity to apply the next year. Dr. Cresson assured me that I would have a spot in the next year’s cohort and understood that this was the best decision to delay participation. He held to his word, and I started the program with the 2017 cohort.
I cannot begin to explain what it was like to go through the 17-month program. The smaller cohort helped provide a one-on-one experience with classmates (many of whom I stay connected with to this day) and the professors. While extremely challenging at times, the sense of accomplishment was worth spending every other Saturday in a classroom. I still use a lot of what I learned every day even after being out of the program for almost 5 years now. The completion of the program helped set me apart when promotion opportunities arose in the company. At the beginning of 2022, I had the honor of accepting the position of President/CEO of Barriere Construction, a position that I strongly believe could not have happened without the help of the learning and experience of the Southeastern EMBA program.
Since my completion of the program, I have encouraged many friends and colleagues who are looking to further their education to pursue an MBA at Southeastern through the EMBA program. To date, Barriere has sent 3 additional company leaders through the program, and we anticipate sending more leaders through the program in the years to come.
Tony Jacketti
Head of North America Commercial Strategy
Dentsply Sirona
“The program laid a solid foundation for me which I have been able to build on personally and professionally. I loved my time in the Executive MBA program and wouldn’t trade it for anything. While the program is challenging and will push you, you will reap the benefits and be happy with the results.”
Years after graduating from my undergrad program, I contemplated going back to school to receive my MBA. After years of going back and forth on debating if it was the right time to get my MBA while juggling work and small children at home, I decided it was now or never in 2011. After researching several schools in the Louisiana market, I decided to move forward with sending my application into Southeastern Louisiana due to the Accounting/Finance concentration that they offered. At that time, I was looking for a program that was more geared around quantitative classes vs qualitative classes as well as a program that had an Executive MBA option. It was the best decision that I could have made based on the 1 ½ years that I spent in the program.
The MBA program that Southeastern offered was the best of both worlds as it offered both in class and online classes which was perfect for what I was looking for. The ability to go in class was important to me as I was looking for a program that offered networking opportunities. Being able to share business experiences with other executives was important to me which is why I chose the Executive MBA option over other options. The added perk of the program was the flexibility offered with the online courses due to my demands outside of the classroom. Being able to work in small groups for projects, studying with drs, engineers, and business executives was great as not only did we have the ability to learn from the projects/classes, but also from each other. Being able to pick other’s brains about their own careers and gain their thoughts on business principles was another perk of the program. I spent countless hours working with my group on different projects during my time in the program and those were some of the best times of the program due to how much we were able to learn from one another since we all came from different backgrounds/career paths.
The executive MBA program that Southeastern offers has many options for concentrations so it has something for everyone. The Accounting/Finance option that I chose was beneficial to me not only from a personal standpoint, but a professional standpoint as well. I learned about M&A, P&L management, analyzing companies’ financial statements, financial analysis, etc…all of which has benefitted me both personally and professionally. Looking back now on one of the projects that we had to do for a Finance course where we had to analyze several companies and then pick the one that we thought was best positioned for future growth, I am kicking myself for not investing in them as their stock has done quite well! That project taught me how to analyze companies and what to look for in future growth opportunities and to trust my work! From a professional standpoint, I can have detailed conversations with our Acct and Finance teams during budget/forecast meetings that often leads to them asking if I have a Finance background. The program laid a solid foundation for me which I have been able to build on personally and professionally.
I loved my time in the Executive MBA program and wouldn’t trade it for anything. I would throw the Executive MBA program up against other programs based on conversations I have had with several co-workers who have received their MBA’s. While the program is challenging and will push you, you will reap the benefits and be happy with the results.
Ben Cavin
President/CEO
Landmark Bank
“I attribute much of the success in my career to the great foundation I was able to establish thanks in large part to the EMBA program, and the professors who taught us. I now encourage my employees to consider the EMBA program for their continued development.”
A few years after college, I found myself working for a regional bank, but still trying
to determine exactly what path my career would take. I began to feel somewhat stagnant
and ultimately decided to continue my education in hopes that the experience would
either allow me to build on my current position, or possibly even lead to new opportunities
outside of my current industry. Having been in the workforce for several years, going
to school full time was not an
option. Additionally, costs were a big concern as I began to research different programs.
Ultimately, I saw value in the convenience, structure, and affordability of the EMBA
program. I liked the idea of attending school along-side a very diverse group of professionals
who, like me, had established at least a general direction for their careers, but
who were in various stages of life. While still unsure exactly what path my career
would take, I dove into the program, and approximately 6 months in I accepted a position
as a loan officer at Landmark Bank. Landmark saw value in the program, and the potential
benefits the program could provide to the bank
through my studies. While working full time and attending the program was challenging
at times, the professors were very aware of the circumstances that each of us faced
and made great efforts to ensure that the program added value to our careers, and
as such we were encouraged to view the program through that scope. Looking back this
was a tremendously valuable component of my career development in that I was able
to apply the lessons I was learning in real time to my job.
Ultimately, I completed the program in 2012, and to this day I attribute much of the success in my career to the great foundation I was able to establish thanks in large part to the EMBA program, and the professors who taught us. As a result, in 2018 I was named the President & CEO of Landmark Bank and I now encourage my employees to consider the EMBA program for their continued development.
Tony Bellina
CEO
Wellbore Fishing & Rental Tools, LLC
“The program set me up for success and enabled me to understand a P&L, Cash Flow, and speak the financial language with my CFO and board. It set me up for success to truly understand and “manage the business”.”
I initially reviewed costs, location, schedule, and accreditation before selecting SELU’s EMBA program. It checked all the boxes for me, but I still had questions on instruction. Then I read reviews, made a few calls, and reviewed professors’ credentials. I came to realize these are the same professors as any other school who simply decided to teach and have an impact here. That’s when I decided SELU was the program for me. I quickly realized you can get as much out of the program as you put in. The level of attention, involvement, and true concern for the education we received at SELU was greater than my friends were experiencing at other larger programs in the region. The larger schools seemed to rest on name while the smaller schools seemed to want to make a name which meant the smaller schools care and help you succeed and gain more personal interaction, which was not only educational but enjoyable. I was starting my business as I was completing my SELU EMBA program. The program set me up for success and enabled me to understand a P&L, Cash Flow, and speak the financial language with my CFO and board. It set me up for success to truly understand and “manage the business”.
