How the Broad MBA helps Spartans master the art of presenting

All the undergraduate and graduate programs offered at the Broad College have one shared commonality: They each equip Broad Spartans with the skillsets and knowledge necessary to hit the ground running.

Gregory Skubick (JD/MBA ’20)

Take Gregory Skubick (JD/MBA ’20), for example, who joined Raytheon Technologies in its operations and supply chain leadership development program just after graduation. As part of the program, Skubick partnered with a team to ideate a year-long project and presentation. They presented to a cohort of colleagues and stood out as top presenters; his team was one of the top three selected among nearly 150 teams to present to the company’s executive leadership.

“The Impact Project [at Raytheon] allows us to identify an area of improvement within the company, find a sponsor for the project and suggest an improvement for a current state,” Skubick explained.

Their team’s project focused on optimizing the user experience in the conference rooms at Raytheon’s facilities to improve hybrid teamwork communication. The live instruction manual created by the team, along with their recommendation to standardize the hardware and software within all the working spaces, was very well received.

Skubick credits his and his team’s outstanding success to the valuable transferable skills he learned during his time in the Full-Time MBA program, especially those related to presentations.

“While completing the project, in itself, is difficult, what truly separates one team from the rest is the quality of the presentation,” Skubick continued. “My team spent a lot of time not only on completing the project but also the slide deck and the flow of the presentation as well. The quality of the presentation is by far equally if not more important than the content, especially in this new virtual world.”

As Skubick has learned through this experience, presentations are invaluable in business settings.

“Throughout my time at Raytheon Technologies, I have utilized my presentation skills to distinguish myself from my colleagues,” he shared. “I enjoy the opportunity to deliver a presentation to any level of leadership, which grants me exposure that I would not have had otherwise. Also, when interviewing for a possible promotion or new role, most of the time I am asked about a time where I presented to leadership. Having this success story in my repertoire allows me to stand out among other possible candidates.”

Skubick (far right) and his Raytheon teammates

Skubick leveraged team collaboration, thoughtful slide deck design and engaging presentation delivery to succeed — all skills that he was able to build a strong foundation in through the MBA program. His team also kept in mind the three pillars of an effective business presentation while crafting their slide deck: desirability, feasibility and viability.

Beyond mastering the art of presenting, Skubick says the Broad MBA helped him connect to like-minded professionals and forge new friendships to build a professional network, which has also helped in his time thus far at Raytheon.

“I still maintain contact with most of my Broad MBA class, either through social media, LinkedIn or our Broad alumni fantasy football league. These friends are the most important resources in my career for recommendations, job openings and career advice,” he said. “Also, the Broad MBA alumni beyond my class have created a professional network that I have utilized even while at Raytheon Technologies, as many Spartans are scattered throughout the company.”

Skubick encouraged Broad Spartans considering an MBA to take the leap. The journey to earning an MBA can open doors to a thriving career.

“I enjoyed my time in the Broad MBA program. I gained existential life and career skills that I use every day. Getting my MBA has been the most important stepping stone in my career,” he said. “I would not be where I am today had it not been for my time at Broad. The professional skills and relationships I developed during my MBA have been indispensable in both my career and personal life, and I highly recommend succeeding with an MBA.”

Skubick’s success story is one among many. Such rewarding stories serve as a testament to the quality of education provided by Broad’s curriculum and dedicated faculty.