MBA for Professionals   ::  About You

From the relationships formed in the classroom to the partnerships formed beyond it, the Willamette MBA is truly a life-changing experience. Students agree that the shared knowledge and expertise of colleagues add to the value of the program. In study groups, team projects or class discussions, you will learn from each other’s expertise.

Earning an MBA at Willamette University makes you a part of 160+ years of tradition and a network of more than 20,000 alumni around the world. You will find this group supportive and cooperative, actively initiating change and leading it in their organizations.

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Roland Zapata, MBA '08
Reseller Account Manager, Xerox Corporation

Through his work with Xerox Corporation, Roland Zapata knows the importance of investing in people. As a Reseller Account Manager he provides training and education to his long list of resellers and keeps them updated on the latest industry trends while making sure that Xerox is the first and foremost on their minds. In addition, his territory takes him far beyond his Portland home – an area that includes New York City, Long Island and New Jersey.

“The position involves extensive relationship building,” Zapata said. “It also involves a lot of on the job training where you have to earn the resellers trust.” He accomplishes this by taking a genuine interest in his resellers’ businesses and families – even attending personal events.

Zapata was attracted to Willamette’s MBA program for working professionals for the same reason – the personal interest the program took of in him. He is also applying what he is learning to his job. “I’m taking the management styles I learn in my courses and applying them to the way I interact with people.”

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Samantha Landau, MBA '08
Finance Manager, City of Farview

Before enrolling in Willamette’s MBA for Professionals program, Samantha Landau knew that she needed something else to advance her career. In 2005 she had a “trigger moment” and, supported by her previous employer, began to search for an MBA program.

“I was finding that despite my years of experience, other professionals were not taking my suggestions as seriously as they were those around me,” she said. “I had the knowledge but not the degree to back it up.”

Pursuing an MBA also prompted Landau to make another change in her life: a career change. “Through my classes…I quickly discovered that my ‘authentic leader’ within wanted something different,” she explains. “It was like coming awake from a long sleep.” She took a chance and sent out a handful of resumes. On her first interview, with the City of Independence, she got the job.

“My current employer believes that the more we as employees know about our jobs the better we are able to perform them,” Landau said. “In leadership, and in business, the knowledge and understanding of concepts that comes through the work of completing an MBA is expected and required.”

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Success is a Collaboration (Ericka Kingsbury, Ryan Langdon and Bill Doutt, MBA '08)

Three 2008 MBA grads Ericka Kingsbury, Ryan Langdon and Bill Doutt may all work in the health care industry, but their job titles and roles give each a diverse perspective on the world. Ericka, a human resources administrator for the Salem Clinic, works with employees at all levels and is responsible for the many day-to-day operations of her organization. Ryan, a senior sales representative in the vaccine division of GlaxoSmithKline, comes from a large organization background. Bill’s work with the Kyphon Corporation often takes him all over the country, sharing his insight as a spine consultant.