Testimonials

“This class was one of the most interesting and fun courses I took throughout my MBA. We learn a lot of quantitative and qualitative tools in the MBA classes, but this class takes those concepts and puts it all together into practical applications through fun and engaging HBS cases.

In addition, Professor Hughes adds another level of expertise to the class with his industry experience. Hearing his thoughts into how he runs his company gave us real-world insight into the activities of a CEO.

Although this is just an elective course, I would highly recommend all MBA’s to consider taking this course. As a Senior Manager, I will definitely be taking the concepts learned in this class back to my

team.”

-Yuichi Usui

Executive – MBA Candidate, Class of ‘23

This course provided me with a holistic recap of MBA courses such as strategic planning, developing business models, managing people and financial statement review, with special emphasis on scaling businesses and driving innovation.  The case study discussions were some of the best of my MBA program and engaged in relevant and current topics.  I came away with a solid list of practical takeaways that will improve my career and company and would highly recommend this class.

— Theresa Morgan

Executive MBA Class of ‘23

“The Practice of General Management course had a profound impact on my Executive MBA journey. It served as an exceptional platform for me to apply the extensive knowledge I acquired throughout the rigorous two-year program. The course encompassed a wide range of essential areas, including accounting, strategy, organizational leadership, and digital transformation, among others, allowing me to grasp the full spectrum of general management practices. 

What made this course exceptional was Professor Hughes, an esteemed business leader whose expertise and accomplishments are truly inspiring. Gaining insights into the mind of a highly successful CEO was an invaluable experience and a unique aspect of this course compared to others. Professor Hughes challenged us to think critically and approach diverse real-world business cases from multiple perspectives. His genuine passion for developing the business, strategy, and leadership acumen of his students was evident throughout our time spent together. 

The practical nature of the course and the comprehensive approach taken by Professor Hughes truly prepared me to excel in managerial roles. I wholeheartedly recommend this course to any student seeking to propel their career and instill confidence in their general management capabilities. “

Mallory Fetters

Executive MBA Class of ‘23

“With a focus on case studies, the Practice of General Management class provided me with a practical application of the theoretical aspects of my core EMBA classes. Professor Hughes’ insights as an experienced executive operating in the business world every day were an invaluable addition to my education and ultimately to our company. I found that I was able to absorb and apply concepts from our discussions to our day-to-day operations and the business has directly benefitted. This course is a requisite for anyone managing people at any stage of their career.”

Melissa Davison

COO/CFO, Davison & Moore Commercial Flooring

UCI EMBA 2023

I would like to provide a testimonial in regard to my experience in Professor Hughes’ Practice of General Management course. After taking this course, I believe that it should be considered part of the general EMBA requirements and not an elective. To add, my expectation of the EMBA program was that it would consist of multiple courses that followed the format that Professor Hughes has put together. Through the use of a variety of case studies across industries, the course pushed us EMBA students to synthesize and activate the knowledge we had learned from other classes, such as accounting, finance, marketing, strategy, organization behavior, and change management. We were asked to make executive-level decisions in many case studies, then assess the real-life actions of companies that were in that particular situation. We also performed activities, such as valuation of companies using a variety of methods, that any executive at a company needs to be able to understand to be effective in their role. The EMBA experience at UCI would greatly benefit from having more classes with this type of structure.

Prof. Hughes was one of the few operators, currently a CEO, which the EMBA cohort had the please and opportunity of directly teaching us at UCI. Prof.

Hughes’ knowledge, and background in assessing, analyzing, and studying hundreds of case studies, provide valuable insights that extended far past the case studies we reviewed. 

In my opinion, the ‘Practice of General Management’ was by far the most practical application and combination of all our different areas of study throughout the EMBA program. 

I’m surprised that this course was optional, and I believe that my cohorts who didn’t take this class missed out on an amazing opportunity to review business practices utilizing our newly acquired skill sets. Prof. Hughes placed us into varying different situations that had us wrestling with how we would have handled ourselves during times of crisis, growth, acquisitions, and life or death scenarios. 

In summary, besides the EQ and soft skills work we performed during UCIs EMBA program, Prof. Hughes was my greatest takeaway over my 21+ months of study. His class was riveting and insightful, but his presence and experience are what led the day. I would take any class taught by Prof. Hughes and would recommend the same to any EMBA student.

Adam Tolk

EMBA Class of 2023

EMBA ’23 Class Representative