Global Executive MBA
Top Areas of Career Focus
Financial Services (20%)
Consulting (5%)
Sales/Business Development (5%)
Energy/Chemical/Gas (9%)
Marketing/PR/Advertising (6%)
Consumer Goods (3%)
Michael Lefevre
“My teammates included oil and gas engineers, a coffee chain business manager, investment bankers, a former airline pilot, a pharmaceutical manufacturer, and a theme park engineer—more unique and eclectic profiles, and personalities, than a person could hope to encounter in a lifetime.”
Vice President, Operations
Brightline
Global Executive MBA
Class of 2020
Industry:
Transportation
Prior Education:
Duke University
Public Policy, 2011
Public Policy, 2011
Hometown:
Miami, Florida
Nationality:
USA
Reflections
I wanted to be in a classroom with peers who represented different industries and geographies. I also wanted to be surrounded by people driven by a desire and openness to improving themselves. When my classmates and I first assembled in Durham, I knew I had picked the right program. You would be hard-pressed to find a more diverse MBA program. It mattered to me that my cohort closely mirrored the demographics of a modern workplace, and I was proud that Fuqua assembled such a representative and talented group.
Before Fuqua
I was the director of the operations center at the nation’s first private intercity passenger railroad. I have worked with the company since its inception, planning, building, and operating the system. I supervised a team of operators in a 24-hour coordination center, responding to service disruptions and delivering a smooth guest experience.
After Fuqua
I know that good public transportation can transform communities, and it’s an industry that needs more energetic, thoughtful leaders. Fuqua has positioned me well to think strategically about the industry’s challenges and do my part to lead in a financially and socially responsible way.
5 Tips for Soliciting Employer Support
- Find out what the company has done for employees in the past. Since employer support is sometimes considered a form of compensation, you may have to do this through informal channels, such as privately asking your coworkers who recently received MBAs whether the company helped them and under what terms.
- Consult a tax accountant. Revisions to the tax code likely make your employer’s support taxable income. Ask if your employer will “gross-up” their contribution or compensate you for the tax consequences in other ways.
- Establish a written contract. You might be able to include favorable terms, like a raise after graduation or forgiveness of any repayment obligations if you get laid off.
- Include a schedule of payments as an attachment to your contract, clearly aligning Fuqua’s billing dates with the employer payments.
- Don’t focus too much on the post-graduation work obligation. You’ll likely have to repay the company for a share of their contribution if you leave within 2 or 3 years.
Typical Class Demographics
Global Executive MBA
Age Range
28-45
Work Experience
5-20 years
Countries Represented
17
Women
35%
Non-US Citizenship
30%
