Success Stories

Rhinology Fellowship Program Co-Director at Steward Health Care
Boston, Massachusetts

Growing up in rural Western North Carolina, and a product of the public school system, Rohan C. Wijewickrama (MBA ’23) found that few from the same background had the opportunity to attend professional graduate school at top-tier institutions. After graduating with a BA from the University of Miami, an MD from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and completing his residency at SUNY Buffalo’s School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, he vowed to use his medical knowledge to help give back to rural communities by getting patients healthy and able to return to daily activities efficiently, noting that it “provides a return which no metric can quantify.”.

After years of medical practice, a successful career as an ENT surgeon, a faculty member at Tufts University School of Medicine, and co-director of the Rhinology Fellowship program at Steward Health Care, Rohan had achieved significant professional success. More important, his work had made a positive impact globally. In the last decade, he’s trained more than 20 fellows who are now in practice throughout the world, using minimally invasive techniques to improve the health of their patients. “Procedures which were once associated with significant morbidity and prolonged hospitalization have now advanced to largely outpatient procedures or ones requiring only a short stay in the hospital,” he noted proudly.

Yet, he chose to continue his education, with the intent of applying his newfound knowledge to supporting further technological, educational and leadership advances in the healthcare industry. He chose UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School for its strong track record and course offerings for healthcare professionals interested in providing solutions for long-standing inefficiencies of healthcare delivery. “The program offers numerous areas of study in healthcare including operations, economics, leadership strategy, current challenges, and international health systems,” he said. “As a result, it brings together experienced healthcare providers, industry members, political agents, and management-level executives from both for-profit and nonprofit backgrounds.”

Such a gathering of experts was the ideal setting for Rohan. In the Weekend Executive MBA program, he quickly found a like mindset in his cohort. “The tight bonds among our classmates were clearly apparent. Our teams, compromised of approximately five students each, generated professional relationships, enduring friendship, and collegiality to aid in pushing each other through challenging periods in the collective path traveled to obtain a comprehensive business education. Despite hardships, we have all supported and looked out for each other with the aim of reaching the finish line not only as individuals but as efficient, cohesive and collectively robust teams ready to face any challenge,” he said.

The camaraderie and support Rohan enjoyed with his classmates was a vital part of his MBA experience and the warm nature of in-person contact was a much-needed change from the pandemic, which was ongoing when he started the program. “Learning from a committed cohort with a diverse background of work experience helped to solidify my reasoning for pursuing an Executive MBA. I found the discussions of our experiences, breakout sessions, and countless meals together allowed us to delve deeper into the material and retain greater understanding.”

While many students find balancing work and family responsibilities while earning their MBA a challenge, Rohan took a mindful approach. “Positive thinking with gentle reminders that you have the ability to excel in all aspects of life help position your mind and your actions to be successful in all endeavors,” he advised. Using that mantra, he not only maintained his work/life/study equilibrium while in the program, but also managed to travel with his wife, three young children, parents and an aunt to Argentina where he completed a global elective course at Universidad Torcuato Di Tella. “My interest in improving healthcare services in Latin America motivated me to pursue studies in this advanced nation in South America,” noted Rohan.

Back at home, Rohan applied his MBA classwork in a manner that allowed for direct benefit to his patients. One particular lesson brought great success to him at his medical practice: “By understanding capacity, throughput rate and throughput time, along with identification and elimination of bottlenecks,” he explained, “it’s helped us decrease the wait time incurred by patients seeking new patient appointments in the office and outpatient surgery while preventing changes to physician work hours…and allows for increased incorporation of telehealth into the practice.”

His only regret: delaying his MBA. “I wish I had started business school sooner. I could have implemented many of the lessons learned at UNC Kenan-Flagler into my surgical practice and fellowship training program sooner.”

• Check out Rohan's "Best and Brightest" profile in Poets & Quants
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Founder, Austin Entertainment Enterprises, Inc.
Atlanta, Georgia

Chart-topping songwriter Johntá Austin was on top of the world. Firmly entrenched in the music industry since writing his first No. 1 record while still in his teens, he’d worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry. A double Grammy Award winner for Best R&B song ― one each with Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige ― he also built and helmed Austin Entertainment Enterprises, Inc., a production company with a publishing arm that provides music content for recording artists and TV/film studios.

Yet, with all his achievements, he felt that he needed a deep dive into a business education to take him to the next level of success. “I saw the landscape changing, where a business that had relied almost exclusively on creative content was beginning to rely more on data and market share,” he said. “I wanted to increase my acumen on how to gather, interpret and use data and market share in the industry, sharpen my proficiency in the language of business, and understand how to better use my creative input as the business transitioned.”

Hence, his enrollment in the UNC Kenan Flagler Weekend Executive MBA program, which he chose both for its easy accessibility from his Atlanta home and the incredibly receptive encouragement he felt from the program staff and student community. Swapping the recording studio for the classroom, Johntá began the program when classes were virtual, due to Covid-19, which presented a unique challenge as he navigated having his family similarly sequestered at home. “My two teenage sons and my wife were also attending school and working virtually. We set up desks around the house for everyone to be able to do their work and do live class/work sessions. I would get up at 5:00 a.m. to work out and get breakfast ready for the kids, and then make sure they were squared away before starting my own classes. Some nights we were doing homework together.”

Leaping headfirst into the academic environment, Johntá was particularly impressed by the strategy courses. “My business was something that I always approached from a creative process, always looking to how I can approve creatively. Even if it’s one song, we’ll listen to it 100 times and ask, ‘Is this the very best we can do?’ The professors really imparted to me that I should always be looking to know when to pivot, to be aware of when and how to make my product better, and how I can improve as a leader and as an entrepreneur.”

As a leader in his own field, he was able to share unique insights with his fellow students. Adam Reed, professor of finance, noted, “Johntá’s contributions in class have enriched the learning experience not only for his classmates but for me as well. He was fully engaged with the course material, exhibiting a commitment born of the professional acumen he brought to the program. To that engagement and focus, he added both his innate passion and a high degree of creativity. His inquisitiveness about and responsiveness to the lessons enhanced the chemistry that occurs when such a diverse group learns together. His expertise in music entertainment and his outgoing personality also injected a healthy degree of fun into the class experience, making it even more pleasurable for all.”

Johntá found that interacting with his peers was particularly rewarding. “The camaraderie building is truly one of the best parts of an Executive MBA program,” he said. “The relationships that I’ve been able to build with my classmates have been the achievement I am most proud of because they were formed with a variety of people from different backgrounds. I believe they will continue to be a major part of my life and career going forward.”

As he prepares for the release of his newest project – longtime friend and collaborator Usher’s album – Johntá finds himself tapping into his newfound MBA education, with an ultimate goal in mind. “I want to continue to look for ways to merge music with all types of tech, brands and lifestyle necessities,” he said. “Now it’s time to synergize music and content with tech – whether it be with Amazon, Netflix, Apple Music or whatever – where artists and creatives can build a larger brand using these platforms.”

Johntá is ready to jump into incorporating this plan and lead the way for change in his industry. “My core competency is what I bring to the table creatively and I want to be able to link industries and business through my creative competencies. What I learned at Kenan-Flagler will definitely help with that.”

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Senior Military Law Attorney for Intelligence & Investigations, U.S. Army Forces Command
Pinehurst, North Carolina

A decorated officer and lawyer, Joanne has served her country in impressive military and civilian roles, earning a Bronze Star and multiple medals for Meritorious Service as well as admission to the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court. She’s also a Carolina alumnus, earning her MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler’s Weekend Executive MBA Program. “I realized that transitioning from military to civil service limited my leadership opportunities,” explained Joanne. “Kenan-Flagler offered a degree program that would not only continue my leadership development, but also would make my experience more applicable to the private sector.”

Joanne made the most of her educational experience, serving as a project leader for an Executive MBA STAR (Student Teams Achieving Results) team that provided policy implementation recommendations to Duke Energy. “To be an effective leader, you have to earn the trust and confidence of your peers, and this project gave me a unique opportunity to work with an extraordinary corporate partner, talented teammates, and an experienced faculty advisor – each of whom had a hand in helping me grow,” said Joanne. She also highlights the program’s Global Context of Business course, noting that it taught her to evaluate tactical decision-making through a strategic lens and to consider decisions based on long-term impact and strategy.

Joanne’s determination to succeed extends to her advocacy of women in business. “Ultimately, my goal is to leave the workforce better off than when I started, by demonstrating that women (and, specifically, female veterans) are strong, capable leaders. To me, there’s no better way to honor the trailblazing women who came before me than to continue their work and demonstrate the value of women in the workforce.”

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Managing Director/CEO, FunderMax Group
Vienna, Austria

In 2015, Arnulf moved from Austria to Charlotte, North Carolina to establish the U.S. subsidiary of FunderMax, a manufacturer of engineered wood products and building materials. Three years later, Arnulf entered the Weekend Executive MBA program at UNC Kenan-Flagler to further develop his leadership skills and to build his professional network.

He found success on both fronts. “Building and developing interpersonal relationships is a valued part of the program and my class is an extremely talented and diverse group,” remarked Arnulf. “During the team projects I realized how strong teams, comprised of diverse individuals with different backgrounds, can be. I apply this insight now in hiring decisions and when I put together project teams at work.”

Arnulf also expanded his leadership skills in the program and, in particular, through the Management and Leadership course, which leans heavily on case studies and engaging class discussions. “The course put an emphasis on leadership and management in a global context, which is important in an increasingly global, interconnected, multicultural, and dynamic business environment,” noted Arnulf.

Ted Zoller, one of Arnulf’s professors, described him as “a model entrepreneurial leader who used the foundation and frameworks of the MBA coursework to realize his full potential.” Not only did he find success in the MBA program, Arnulf also was promoted to CEO of FunderMax in 2020. “The team has built a sizable and profitable business, which continues to grow rapidly,” said Arnulf. “I am especially proud that the organization I built is like a family caring for each other, our partners, and the community.”

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Senior Director Business Relationships, Surgical Care Affiliates
Birmingham, Alabama

Maximizing her contribution and the impact she has on others, Cat Sartin puts her MBA to work on a daily basis. What started as a journey to fill gaps in her knowledge, bolster her financial acumen, and prepare herself for leadership roles has become a life-changing experience.

Before she even started her undergraduate degree, Cat ran a small business and worked with a healthcare diagnostics company. Even with her early career success, she recognized that she’d need more education to remain as competitive as she wanted to be. “I was a rising star in my organization,” commented Cat, “but I knew that an advanced degree would help me grow within my profession or take my career in a new direction.”

Cat chose UNC Kenan-Flagler’s MBA for its strong finance curriculum and for its emphasis on building a student’s global mindset. And, with its every-third-weekend schedule, the Weekend Executive program was ideal because it allowed her to network and learn with her peers in an immersive setting in Chapel Hill, while also managing work commitments and raise her two young children at home in Birmingham, Alabama.

The program’s robust and relevant curriculum allowed Cat to immediately leverage what she learned in her work. “I could learn something on Saturday and directly apply it to my work on Monday,” she noted. More than that, she also learned how to apply enhanced skills in patience and persistence and work with an “increased capacity to synthesize complex information.”

Cat also discovered how to be a more compassionate leader and how to find greater purpose and meaning in her work. “In our capstone course, we learned about strategy in high-velocity markets, about different growth areas, different industries, and the different life stages of a business,” she recalled. “But, it also helped me in much broader ways: how to identify rationale in decision-making, how to lean into my personal space, and how to remain patient while becoming more self-aware.”

While she was in the program, Cat also participated in an independent study project that addressed the impacts of mental health on business, working with peers who, like her, had experience in the healthcare industry. “This was an impactful course for me and one that directly related to my career,” she explained. “I helped create an advocacy group in my organization to provide resources on mental health and wellness, so being able to parlay learnings from my MBA experience was really beneficial.”

Not only has Cat used her MBA to give back to her organization, she also gave back to the MBA program itself, providing the foundation for a new course tackling the topic of racial equity in the workplace. “This may be my proudest achievement coming out of the program. Our work with mental health raised numerous questions related to inclusion, injustice, and employee performance,” explained Cat. “Plus, I’m an Asian-American woman from Alabama working in the healthcare technology industry, so I have personal experiences that have fueled my passion and desire to help in any way I can.”

In pursuing her MBA at UNC Kenan-Flagler, Cat realized how her strengths, knowledge, and passion are well suited to her career in health policy. “The highlight of my MBA was how many forces came together,” said Cat. “Knowing what you want to do, why you want to do it, how to make a plan to get there, and having the confidence to go after it…those are really powerful tools.”

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Chief Medical Officer and President, Operative Flow Technologies
Raleigh, North Carolina

Martyn and Ben, friends since starting medical school together in 2003, entered the entrepreneurship track of the Weekend Executive MBA program already fixed on a specific outcome — launching a company that applies business principles to the healthcare profession and addresses problems surgeons face in the operating room.

The entrepreneurs’ initial product, OpFlow, is a cloud-based software platform that increases communication and cuts costs in the operating room. “The program served as an incubator and accelerator for our product,” says Martyn. “We utilized our company as the basis for our class projects and were able to receive feedback from world-class faculty. Those relationships enabled us get to the point where we were able to successfully launch our company before the end of our MBA program.”

While in the program, the duo won the SoftLaunch Coaches’ Choice Award, presenting their venture pitch to coach-judges from marketing, strategy, finance, and legal disciplines. But, the judges weren’t the only ones to see the value of OpFlow. After a successful pilot project, leadership team members at UNC Rex Hospital engaged in contract negotiations with the OpFlow team to expand the use of the product.

“The pilot was an opportunity for our proof of concept,” says Wood. “Alongside the technological expertise of our CEO, David Rowe, the MBA program catalyzed the development of our idea to a commercially viable product.”

“If you have an idea, the best way to determine its viability is to enroll in UNC Kenan-Flagler’s MBA program and put your idea to work,” says Knowles. “Between the network, the classes, the professors, and the content, you come out well-versed in how to make your company a success.”

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President/Lead Consultant, Artis Consulting, Inc.
Raleigh, North Carolina

Craston Artis is making a difference in his community. And, his MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler is helping him do it.

Craston recently launched EngageWIT, an education technology platform focused on virtual student teaching. He has also expanded his consulting practice, taking on a variety of projects that support economic development within the Black community.

One of those projects was with Corning, which engaged Craston to help expand its philanthropic footprint in North Carolina. Craston worked on a team that evaluated opportunities for the company to invest in community-based organizations in the Black community.

“We identified the needs of the community in different areas — healthcare, education and economic development,” Craston explains. “But I also brought my organizational efficiency lens to the table to evaluate how filling those needs could bring Corning the return on investment they were after.”

Next, through connections he made with the Kenan Institute, the School’s thought leadership think tank, Craston has been working as a consultant for NCGrowth to explore ways to support the southeast Raleigh community, a predominantly Black area of the city.

“We’re looking at how to ensure that construction projects in the Black community as a result of the affordable housing bond can provide more work for Black contractors and subcontractors,” says Craston. “It’s been a great example of how I can apply my business mindset to address a community issue.”

After earning his undergraduate degree in history and education, Craston taught social studies at a Chicago high school before moving on to administrative and consulting roles for schools, districts and government agencies. He built a strong personal network in the industry, which helped him find numerous opportunities to provide coaching, curriculum development and leadership training.

For his next career move, Craston considered two options — charter-school management or an entrepreneurial venture to deliver virtual coaching. Each pursuit was exciting and each would challenge him in a different way. School leadership would require strong organizational management skills, while the entrepreneurial path would require a solid understanding of marketing, operations, strategy, and finance.

To bolster his knowledge and confidence in these areas, Craston turned his attention to pursuing an MBA. He chose UNC Kenan-Flagler’s Weekend Executive MBA program for its reputation, flexibility, and immersive format, which would allow him to build strong, personal connections with his peers and professors.

It also felt like “his kind of program.”

“From the classroom visit to the interview, it felt right,” shares Craston. “It felt more like a family, and more personal, than what I experienced at other schools with similar reputations.”

In the program, Craston built critical skills across numerous dimensions, in operations, strategic planning, product development, and emerging uses for technology. In a marketing course, he learned how to think through processes within a team environment, a skill he had previously only tackled alone. Coursework in entrepreneurship exposed him to new ways to launch a business — franchising, acquisitions, search funds, and private equity. This course also helped Craston bring his vision for a virtual coaching service to fruition by providing him with new tools that he was able to apply immediately to his growing enterprise.

While the skills he learned in the classroom were important, Craston deeply valued the connections he was able to make with his classmates. “Whether it was at the social events set up by the program or just us hanging out in the lounge after class, I made some really strong connections,” he explains. “I learned a lot about other industries that really intrigued me.”

Craston’s MBA experience increased his confidence and helped him recognize the impact he could make within the Black community. “A lot of conversations in business are not considerate of communities of color,” he said. “In the program, I figured out how to have these conversations in a way that was fruitful for me and that I think was fruitful for my classmates as well.”

With his new skills, connections, and confidence, Craston plans to bridge further into economic development to support his community. He’s looking into microprivate equity opportunities that could help small businesses find the growth capital they need to scale up and take on larger contracts. Ultimately, he believes this focus could help him build a firm specializing in this work.

To those considering an MBA, Craston suggests, “If you think of your MBA as part of a professional journey that extends for years beyond your time in the program, you’ll better appreciate its gems. This is one of those times where you want to step back and see the bigger picture.”

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Director of Nacelle Engineering, Boeing
Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

With degrees in aeronautical and mechanical engineering, a love of science fiction, and experience working at Boeing, Lisa brought a unique background to UNC Kenan-Flagler. A respected mentor to other engineers, Strategy and Entrepreneurship Professor Hugh O’Neill noted that she “represents the model of an effective executive for the 21st century, one who builds confidence in those who work with her.”

Seeking the business acumen she needed to lead at an executive level and the flexibility to continue working full-time, Lisa chose the Weekend Executive MBA program for its immersive experience and every-third-weekend schedule. The program’s immersive nature provided her with the opportunity to learn from her peers. “Through our classroom interactions, I learned how other companies approached issues and operated,” commented Lisa. I brought back innovative ideas to my company and I am optimistic it will propel us forward.” 

She also credits the program’s curriculum — macroeconomics, in particular — for providing her important insight. “Macroeconomics gave me a valuable understanding of how global business is growing through the advancement in technology and how we can leverage it to stay ahead,” shared Lisa. “This insight is critical to my success as a leader in the global market.”

With long-term goals to “lead with courage, compassion and inspiration at the highest levels” and “make Boeing an even greater place to work”, Lisa also drew inspiration from her Leadership Initiative course. “I learned how important communication is: the message, the frequency, the buy-in,” she said. “It is critical to bring people along on the way to implementing major change rather than simply dropping it on them when you start to execute.” 

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Security Sales Specialist, VMware
Charlotte, North Carolina

After 20 years in sales, Michael decided that it was time to add new skills and knowledge to help advance his career and, eventually, run his own company to stimulate his business acumen and passion. Drawn to the school’s supportive culture and strong entrepreneurial and business strategy track, he enrolled in UNC Kenan-Flagler’s Weekend Executive MBA program. 

Michael saw the impact immediately. The Marketing Management course helped him develop a marketing strategy that he presented to company leadership. “My presentation helped me gain clout and credibility within my organization and prepared me for more executive responsibilities,” explained Michael. “My recommended direction from the paper is the direction we chose for this start-up business within the organization.” In addition, the Emotional Intelligence framework helped Michael become more self-aware, a characteristic that he deemed critical to his success in the corporate world and essential for persuasive and respected business leaders.

“The lessons learned from my Kenan-Flagler education have had a direct effect on my performance, business acumen, and success,” said Michael. “It’s already showing a positive return on investment.” Operations professor Adam Mersereau echoed Michael’s sentiment, “With his dedication and positive attitude, Mike is truly making the most of his MBA experience, reaping the benefits of skills and network development. And, with his investment in his own success and his natural leadership style, I have no doubt that he’s going to continue to be an impactful business leader.”

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Founder & President, DataWave Research
Raleigh, North Carolina

Dave Braness made the choice to enroll in business school after an in-depth “development dialogue” with his supervisor led to some soul-searching about his job, career path and longer-term ambitions. Already a successful senior product manager at Bayer with a strong network, solid track record and promising promotion prospects, Dave realized that what he really wanted was not to continue in mid-level management but rather to power-up his career and break into the executive ranks. Pragmatically, Dave knew he’d need to bolster both his skillset and business credentials if he was to accomplish that, and began actively seeking opportunities to do so.

Dave was convinced that an Executive MBA would accelerate his corporate career, and began looking at business school options that might fit his needs. 

UNC Kenan-Flagler rose to the top of his target list for several reasons. First, the school came highly recommended by colleagues at Bayer, who themselves had transformational experiences there. Secondly, the school offered a Weekend Executive MBA program which he felt could bolster his MBA experience, since cohorts include individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds and industries, and the immersive, residential format provides opportunities to build lifelong relationships with classmates. A final factor was the flexibility offered by the school. As a new father, flexibility was of paramount importance.

Dave started the Executive MBA program in 2018, confident and committed to pursuing a bright future at Bayer. However, as he explored the wide range of electives offered and networked with classmates and faculty, Dave rediscovered his entrepreneurial spirit, which ultimately drove him to rethink the course of his career.

Two of the courses he found most interesting were New Ventures Discovery and Global Entrepreneurship. These electives provided the space and time to flesh out an idea for a strategic market research company. “In my job at Bayer, I found that I always needed better data to make the million-dollar decisions my job required, but I simply couldn’t find the right market research. So I used the opportunity to think about creating the kind of market research I needed myself, and building a business founded on selling that research into the marketplace,” Dave said.

In the entrepreneurship classes, real investors scrutinized his business idea, in a start-up pitch competition. “It was like Shark Tank on steroids,” he shared. The judges liked his idea, and the experience boosted his confidence and helped him sharpen his business plan. “After that experience, I knew the idea for my business was solid and I would be comfortable pitching my services to senior executives at major manufacturers.”   

A year after graduating, Dave left his job at Bayer and founded DataWave Research, which focuses on providing accurate market data and insights to power decision making for industries tasked with protecting health, food, and property. Since then, he’s tapped into the resources and relationships he discovered during his program. “Not a week goes by since graduation that I have not leveraged my UNC network in some way,” he said.  “That speaks volumes about the incredible value of the Kenan-Flagler Executive MBA program.”

Dave has taken advantage of the in-house talent pool at Kenan-Flagler to help build out his service offerings. For instance, he hired a group of MBA students through the STAR consulting program to complete a project for his company. The students built statistical models that Dave provided to some of his first clients, which provided an early source of revenue for DataWave.     

The project was so successful that he ended up partnering with one of the consulting team leaders to join his team at DataWave Research. 

“The Executive MBA was absolutely worth the time and investment, and I am confident that the skills, knowledge and network I developed during my time at Kenan-Flagler will help me as I scale up my services and grow my business into the future.”

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