Having spent most of his career at TD Bank, Marlon Davis, EMBA ‘23 Candidate, felt some outside perspective and broader network would help set him apart.

With a background in marketing and accounting, Davis worked his way up at TD from teller to senior manager, where he was recently promoted from Bank Manager to Product Owner – a job that involves working with various stakeholders from legal to marketing and finance to help develop and manage new products.

“Part of the reason for obtaining my MBA was to set myself apart, and I think that played a role in this promotion, because there were many things that I was able to draw on from different courses, to be ready for this role,” Davis says.

“I had to figure out a way to be considered for new roles and prove to the hiring manager that I ultimately have the ability to be successful in a role when not everything is relatable to my past.”

He credits the diversity of course subjects with giving him a broader perspective and allowing him to understand and speak to problems beyond the scope of his direct work experience, as well as the wealth perspectives provided by his classmates.

“In every team there was a specific person who is an expert in that specific course, whether it be marketing, finance or accounting, which really has helped tremendously,” he says.

“The design of the program forces interaction, and that interaction, including in the first week where we are in Residence Week, we all get to intermingle, learn about each other and create a team charter, which works as an outline of how we're going to work together. We find ourselves spending a lot of time together in Toronto, and that in itself is special, because it provides a friendship with like-minded professionals.”

It’s a diversity of experience Davis also found reflected in the faculty.

“I would dare to say there are no two profs with even a similar teaching style, which is amazing, because you get to learn not only from the best in their field, but also in their own voice,” he says.

“And while the teaching styles are completely different from one instructor to another, I haven’t had any issues whatsoever with understanding or digesting the content that was taught.”

The EMBA has also allowed Davis to learn about himself and cement his ideas about the type of leader he wants to be, while the Case-based method of learning made him feel like what he learned would be directly applicable to his job.

“There are so many things that are going on in the world; Covid being the latest and greatest challenge that has forced some businesses to operate completely differently,” he says.

“So, if you’re not doing a Case-based business program today, the question becomes -- is how relevant is the education that you’re obtaining?