C-Suite insights: EMBA course offers executive-level lessons in leadership

A new Executive MBA (EMBA) course at the Broad College of Business is redefining how leadership is taught by connecting students directly with some of the most influential minds in business. Titled PIM 891: Special Topics – Lessons in Leadership: Perspectives from the C-Suite, the course offers students firsthand insights into the decisions, challenges, and triumphs of top executives across a range of industries.

Sanjay Gupta (right) is co-chair of the Green and White Council, and guest speaker Keith Clark (left) serves as a member.

Designed and taught by Sanjay Gupta, the Eli & Edythe L. Broad Endowed Professor and Dean Emeritus of the Broad College of Business, this course exemplifies the university’s commitment to innovative, experiential learning while advancing a key goal of MSU President Guzkiewicz’s Green & White Council. Gupta serves as co-chair of the council, while guest speaker Keith Clark, CEO of Dart Container Corporation, is a member; together they contribute to highlighting how MSU can drive workforce development and economic growth in Michigan and beyond.

“Bringing our students face-to-face with accomplished leaders who have walked in their shoes and now shape the business world has been a long-time vision for us,” said Gupta. “It’s more than a class; it’s a transformative experience that blends introspection, executive insight, and real-world application in a way that prepares our students to lead with purpose and confidence.”

Over the course of the semester, students heard from a lineup of powerhouse speakers, including CEOs, presidents, and HR leaders, nearly all of whom were MSU alumni. Each speaker spent two hours in a combined fireside chat and Q&A session with students, offering candid reflections on leadership values, challenges and decision-making. Topics ranged from mergers and acquisitions, talent and compensation, sustainability and corporate governance, to key leadership attributes, skills and values.

Featured speakers included:

• Mala Kashyap, VP, Honeywell (B.A. Economics ’03, Master’s of Human Resources and Labor Relations ’07)
• Bob Chapek, Former CEO, Walt Disney Company (MBA ’84)
• Kim Popovits, Former CEO, Genomic Health (B.A. Travel and Tourism Management ’80)
• Natalya Leahy, CEO, Lindblad Expeditions (MBA ’06)
• Brian Kesseler, Former CEO, Tenneco (B.A. Financial Administration ’88)
• Keith Clark, CEO, Dart Container Corporation

For Clark, the decision to engage with students was deeply tied to Dart’s ongoing talent needs. “Dart is always looking for motivated, smart students for internships and entry-level positions, and having such a high-quality institution like Broad/MSU right in our backyard is incredibly fortunate for us,” he said. With programs ranging from supply chain to HR, IT to finance, and engineering to data analytics, Dart has recruited many Spartans over the years. “We’ve employed some incredibly talented people from MSU—and we need more,” said Clark.

He also emphasized that the value of the course went both ways. “Interacting with MSU students provides me with an invaluable opportunity to learn from our newest generation of workers and future leaders. Their enthusiasm, great ideas, and thoughtful questions truly inspired me. I walked away invigorated and reassured that the future of the manufacturing industry is a bright one.”

The course design is as rigorous as it is reflective. Students begin by conducting a personal leadership gap analysis, identifying the key skills and attributes they possess and where they fall short. As the course progresses, students synthesize takeaways from each speaker and build a personalized leadership development roadmap.

By the end of the course, students complete a capstone assignment that ties together their personal reflections, executive insights, and classroom learning. This culminating document becomes a long-term tool, described by Gupta as “something students can pick up and review time and again as a check on their leadership journey.”

Students like Amanda Daggett, EMBA class of 2026, found the lessons immediately impactful. “Our first speaker, Mala Kashyap, was both insightful and inspiring,” she said. “Her career journey at Honeywell demonstrates how continuous learning, courage, and a willingness to embrace new challenges can fuel personal and professional growth. One of the most powerful takeaways for me was her advice not to wait until you feel ‘ready’ before stepping into a new role.”

Elizabeth Henderson, also EMBA class of 2026, echoed the sentiment. “While the backgrounds and roles of each leader varied, a thread throughout each conversation was clear: the hallmark of good leadership is caring deeply about who you are leading and what you are leading toward. This course took the Executive MBA program beyond the classroom and encouraged each of us to reflect on our motivations for learning and leadership.”

“The quality and depth to the participants’ questions was impressive. I was struck by the breadth of their curiosity—from sustainability and the future of packaging, to the state of manufacturing and the impact of global competition, to my personal experiences that shaped my career. It was a very engaging group, and I truly enjoyed the interaction.” -Clark

Clark agreed, underscoring what he hoped students carried forward from his session. “Manufacturing is a great industry in which to pursue a career,” he said. “It’s broad (no pun intended) and covers so many academic disciplines. It’s also in an exciting time of transition and needs fresh ideas and people who are eager to be at the forefront of transformational progress.”

He was especially impressed by the students themselves: “The quality and depth to the participants’ questions was impressive. I was struck by the breadth of their curiosity—from sustainability and the future of packaging, to the state of manufacturing and the impact of global competition, to my personal experiences that shaped my career. It was a very engaging group, and I truly enjoyed the interaction.”

Beyond enhancing student learning, the course supports several broader institutional goals:

• Showcasing MSU’s unique curricular innovation at a time when executive education is more in demand than ever.
• Advancing experiential learning, a pillar of MSU’s strategic vision.
• Engaging successful alumni as mentors and thought leaders in meaningful ways.
• Supporting recruiting and marketing efforts by highlighting the real-world relevance and impact of the EMBA program.

“Courses like this not only elevate the student experience but also showcase the Broad College’s distinctive approach to executive education,” said Cheri DeClercq, assistant dean of graduate initiatives & academic innovation. “By blending academic rigor with real-world leadership insights, we’re creating a program that attracts top talent, strengthens alumni engagement, and reinforces our position as a leader in innovative, high-impact business education.”

Gupta added: “One of the most rewarding aspects of this course has been witnessing the transformation in our students from the initial self-assessment of their leadership gaps to the confidence and clarity they gain by the end. Through candid conversations with C-suite leaders and deep personal reflection, they emerge with a stronger sense of who they are as leaders and a clear roadmap for where they want to go.”

With strong student feedback, enthusiastic alumni involvement, and deep alignment with MSU’s mission through the Green & White Council, “Lessons in Leadership” is poised to become a cornerstone of the EMBA experience—and a model for bridging classroom learning with the realities of executive leadership.