Business professionals often assume that the value of a one-year MBA is in classroom learning. But for students in the Foster School of Business Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) program, the experience is broader — and more personal. While gaining new skills and expertise, students also work with Foster’s career services team beginning the first day of class. Students can access coaching, mentoring, networking opportunities, and personalized support that continues throughout the one-year program.
To see how that support translates into real job outcomes, we spoke with three members of the Global Executive MBA Class of 2025 about their experiences partnering with Career Services during the program, and where they landed.
After graduation, Purvi Makwana (MBA ’25) joined Amazon as a Senior Category Merchant Manager, leading the Pets and Baby categories. Sukarno Harjono (MBA ’25) stepped into a senior digital advertising role at Telkomsel, Indonesia’s largest telecommunications company. Rathna Kumar Sambasivam (MBA ’25) moved into a customer experience leadership role at Tesla, building on a global background in automotive and mobility.
Here’s a snapshot of their experiences.
Career Coaching, from Day 1
Career management is an integral part of the learning experience. For Purvi Makwana, that structure helped her stay focused as she explored job opportunities.
“I joined Amazon directly after completing the Global Executive MBA, and the program was instrumental in developing my strategic and global leadership mindset,” she says. “Through one-on-one coaching, networking events, and career treks, I gained clarity on how companies think about growth and how I wanted to position myself.”
She points to Foster’s team of career experts and coaches as a steady guide through a competitive job market.
“They helped me refine my story and stay confident and prepared at every stage of the process. That consistency made a difference.”
Sukarno Harjono (right) with fellow Global Executive MBA classmate Akshay Singhal at Zipline during an MBA Career Trek in the San Francisco Bay Area.
One-on-One Coaching, with intention
Individual coaching is a key component of the Global Executive MBA’s career support experience. Students work closely with leadership coaches throughout the 12-month program, revisiting goals and refining strategies as opportunities evolve.
For Rathna Kumar Sambasivam, that support helped him reposition himself for broader leadership roles.
“The Global Executive MBA helped me intentionally reposition my career from being primarily execution-focused to operating at a broader strategic and leadership level,” he says. “Career Management, especially Donna Sellers and Susie Buysse, provided structured guidance on executive positioning, resume storytelling, and interview preparation for senior-level roles.”
He describes the experience as demanding in the best way.
“What stood out was how personalized the support was. Donna took the time to understand my background, my goals, and my constraints, and helped me build a clear narrative around my leadership experience and global impact. The entire team consistently helped me raise my bar.”
Purvi Makwana (MBA ’25) with her mentor Dave Sampson (MBA ’03), Chief Growth Officer and CMO at iVisa
The Advantage of Mentoring and Perspective
Mentoring is another pillar of the Foster Global Executive MBA experience. In the mentoring program, students are paired with mentors who are senior leaders in their industries. These mentors offer valuable insights into leadership development and career decisions.
For Sukarno Harjono, those 1:1 conversations shaped his understanding of his own role as a leader.
“Before the program, my career was largely shaped by technical expertise and execution,” he says. “Through mentoring and coaching, I began to see myself not just as a problem-solver, but as a solution leader — someone responsible for direction, impact, and connecting technology to business and customer outcomes.”
That shift was both professional and personal.
“Balancing executive studies and family life while living abroad challenged me to grow in new ways. The mentoring program helped me think more clearly about leadership, empathy, and purpose — not just results.”
Behind-the-scenes during a career trek at Amazon’s Austin, Texas, distribution center in January 2025.
MBA Career Treks: Learning by Immersion
MBA Career Treks offer an additional layer of industry exposure. Students go behind the scenes at organizations in San Francisco, Portland, Austin, Seattle, and other cities to engage in conversations with company leaders.
Makwana says those visits helped shape how she evaluated opportunities.
“Career treks gave me firsthand insight into company culture and strategic priorities,” she says. “Seeing how leaders think about growth and decision-making helped me better understand what different roles would actually be like.”
Recent treks have included visits with companies such as NVIDIA, Daimler, Dell, Smith Teamaker, Whole Foods, McKinsey, Accenture, Costco, and Adobe.
In addition to treks, students also have multiple opportunities to network and learn alongside their peers in Foster’s Executive MBA, Hybrid MBA, and Technology Management MBA programs. Throughout the year, on-campus events, guest speakers, and activities offer occasions to build relationships with peers who share similar interests.
During a career trek to the San Francisco Bay Area, Global Executive MBA students made a quick stop to capture stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Career Momentum That Lasts
For Harjono, the value of his Global Executive MBA experience extends beyond graduation.
“The diverse cohort, global exposure, and real-world case discussions encouraged me to lead with greater empathy, curiosity, and confidence,” he says. “Today, I carry that mindset forward in my career. I approach my work with a stronger sense of purpose, striving not only to deliver results but to build solutions that matter, empower teams, and contribute to lasting progress for both the organization and the people it serves.”
Makwana, Harjono and Sambasivam each describe the real strength of the Global Executive MBA as the people: experienced career experts and mentors who partner with students from the first day and support their goals.
For all three, the combination of academics, coaching, mentoring, networking, and industry connections created momentum, not just toward jobs, but toward long-term career growth and development.
The full-time Global Executive MBA program will prepare you for success in international business in just one year. Taught by award-winning faculty, this rigorous curriculum will develop your leadership skills and provide tools to expertly solve global business challenges.