Karishma Patel, EMBA '24
These days, life is full for Karishma Patel, MBA ’24. As a senior product line manager at Ford Motor Co., a recent grad of the Ross School of Business Executive MBA Program, and a mom of two teenagers, she is charging ahead in taking the next step in her career.
The Perfect Fit for Career Advancement
Getting an MBA at Michigan Ross has been a dream of Karishma’s since she was in college studying computer science. “I love engineering, but I always wanted to combine it with business expertise,” she said.
Since her early days at Ford as a project manager, Karishma has steadily been moving up the ranks, but she knew she needed advanced business knowledge for the management opportunities she sought.
She realized the perfect fit of an executive-level program for her due to its emphasis on global management and the caliber of peers in the program. Karishma considered a few other highly ranked EMBA programs, but she knew all along that Michigan Ross made perfect sense for her.
“I didn’t want to disrupt my work and family life. The format at Michigan Ross seemed perfect for balancing everything.” Karishma said.
A few months before graduating from the EMBA Program, Karishma took on a new role in developing a software application for the company’s Remanufacturing and Reverse Logistics for Service Parts Management. In this role, she is accountable for multiple products at Ford, customers, suppliers, and government bodies.
“The opportunity came at the perfect time,” Karishma said. “I’m getting to utilize everything I’ve learned in the EMBA Program. It’s exciting, and it’s very clear to me just how beneficial the Ross EMBA Program has been for me. I better understand every angle of our work.”
Reaping the Benefits of Multidimensional Learning
Karishma said her time in the program flew by.
“The residencies were amazing,” Karishma said. “The days in class were long, but I always felt I was getting the absolute best experiences. The professors continually engaged everyone in active discussions, and the dynamic was really exciting.”
The quality of students in the program was really high. I got to know people from many countries, cultures, companies, and industries. Many were in senior management and even C-suite positions, many were in companies across the Fortune 500, and some were even in medicine and other professions.
She said working online and collaborating with teams on assignments was a great experience.
“All of our projects were real-world based, and we all contributed different strengths to complete assignments. I gained a lot of practical knowledge, and I broadened my perspective on how to approach problems and teamwork.”
She added that on many nights, her teams worked until midnight to finish assignments.
“We all supported each other when we were busy and had other commitments,” Karishma said. “There was an incredible culture of reciprocity among the students. It was humbling.”
Taking the Learning Abroad
For her Executive Multidisciplinary Action Project, Karishma selected a global entrepreneurship-focused project. She went to Ireland to help a small company expand its operations into Europe and the United States. After three months of working on the project at home, her team traveled to Ireland to immerse themselves in the business.
“For a week and a half, we met with business leaders and fine-tuned our understandings,” Karishma said. “The company was so hospitable and treated us like executives. We concluded the project by giving the company comprehensive recommendations for its strategy, marketing, finances, and operations.”
“The company continues to implement our recommendations today,” Karishma said. “It gives me a great sense of fulfillment and accomplishment to know this.” She added, “The project also gave me a great new perspective on international business. I use this perspective in many aspects of my work on a daily basis now.”
Developing as a Leader
Of all of her EMBA experiences, Karishma said the general leadership curriculum provided the biggest benefit of all. “It changed my entire perspective about many aspects of my role, my career, and my personal relationships. I‘ve become a better leader, spouse, mother, and community member from it.”
Beyond the classroom and curriculum, Karishma said she enjoyed going to Ann Arbor once a month for residencies.
“After classes, we ventured out on the town as a group and soaked in the atmosphere,” Karishma said.“We formed great friendships and made memories that will last a lifetime.”
Going forward, Karishma said she plans to utilize the insights she gained from the career coaching.
“Working with a coach was really helpful. I formed more specific career goals for myself and made strategies to achieve them. As I progress in my career, I know I can always turn to Michigan Ross career resources for support when I need it,” Karishma said.
Fostering the Circle of Learning
Karishma’s advice to someone entering the EMBA Program is to be mindful of what you can contribute to the community.
The program depends on the contributions of each student. Be prepared to stay on top of the material, and be ready to share your knowledge and experiences with others. The learning dynamic is so exceptional because everyone contributes at a very advanced level. The extra effort you put in will make the entire experience better for everyone.