Written by Dave Edwards, EMBA 2021
Sr. Director of IT – Triton Management Services, LLC.
The classes expose students to many topics that you may not think about every day. I have been able to apply theories and practices from every class I have taken in this program to my job.
My name is Dave Edwards. I am currently the Sr. Director of Information Technology for Triton Management Services, LLC. and I am a student enrolled in the Executive MBA program at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), Class of 2021. This program has been the experience of a lifetime for me. Not only has it been a long time coming for me personally, but it has been a true culmination of effort, patience, perseverance, organization, and collaboration. I would like to share my experiences on how I got to UTD, my experiences within the program, and how I have grown along the way.
I wanted to be an executive in a company
As a business and IT professional, I had been leading the information technology, purchasing and Inventory, and compliance divisions of my company for many years. I knew that I wanted to be an executive in a company, and I wanted to be a leader of something bigger and more significant than what I was currently involved in. I realized that I would need more education and skills in business management. I wanted to better understand the business of finance, economics, executives, and leadership and how these disciplines contribute to the success of a company.
As I began searching for schools, I knew that I wanted a program that provided both on-campus interactions, but also used online collaboration and interaction tools. I found that in UTD. Once I decided to apply to the program, the UTD Executive MBA staff was very much engaged in every step of my application process. Connie Imhoff and Pamela Foster-Brady were instrumental in my decision to attend UTD. They were engaging and helpful and always professional. I had a feeling that I belonged and that I was wanted by UTD just as much as I wanted to attend UTD. This was the difference maker for me. The program courses and materials were comparable to other schools. The school ranking and the cost were much more competitive. The campus was within a manageable distance from home. Ultimately, it was the feeling of belonging that I received from the staff and administrators that helped me make my final decision to enroll in the UTD Executive MBA program.
Experiences as a student in the executive education program
The experiences as a student in the executive education program have been nothing short of tough, time-consuming, demanding, exhausting, refreshing, educational and exactly what I was looking for. The classes expose students to many topics that you may not think about every day. I have been able to apply theories and practices from every class I have taken in this program to my job. Every class (including executive coaching) has done well to provide me with not only business-related knowledge but also interpersonal and communication skills (which were applicable immediately.) The classes are demanding. They require a lot of time management and team collaboration. The study teams make the workload much more manageable and they provide each student with the resources to hear/learn from other perspectives in business.
At this point in the program, it is hard to determine a favorite class or one that has provided more than another. I will share what I consider to be my favorite (and most applicable) classes. In the first and second semester we had Economics and International Business Economics, respectively. Those classes are the most fascinating classes, and they are directly applicable to the current economic environment. Every class in the program has had great takeaways, but these economic classes do a great job of helping students understand the “why” and “how” products, markets, pricing, etc.… work the way they do. These classes are fundamental in understanding globalization, tariffs, labor markets, emerging economies, and the breakdown of the work force, both domestic to the US and around the world.
I feel more equipt and confident
I am happy with my decision to attend UTD and pursue an Executive MBA. The program, administrators, faculty, and students have made this experience incredible for me. I am very pleased with the program and the confidence it has given me. I do feel that I am more equipped and more confident for moving to the next level in my business career.
