Celebrating the Sokolov Executive MBA Program

Starr Marcello: One of our exceptional alums, Konstantin Sokolov, has made a $100 million gift to benefit the Executive MBA Program here at Chicago Booth. And in recognition of this tremendously generous gift, we have renamed the program the Sokolov Executive MBA Program.

Madhav Rajan: What advice would you give to somebody who's just kind of starting their Booth journey?

Konstantin Sokolov: So my advice is very simple. Use every minute of it, to enjoy it, to learn it, to build friendships, and this will help you during your careers and during your life. Because one of the huge draws of Chicago, something that attracted to me, is to be surrounded by like-minded people, to be surrounded by leaders. So being surrounded by the people I can talk very openly, I never experienced that before I attended the Executive MBA. And I draw on that experience even now, 20 years later, because it's had a profound impact on all my life, my values, the way I look at the world, the way I do business. And I always felt very connected to this goal. 20 years from graduation and I still feel as if I was graduated yesterday.

Madhav Rajan: So Konstantin is the founder of IJS Investments, and is an entrepreneur and a private equity investor with a passion for driving economic growth and creating positive and meaningful change. And Konstantin's new commitment will sustain and enhance the quality of the Executive MBA Program. It's going to make it possible for us to continue to attract the best students from around the world to our Executive MBA Program, enable the school to continue to refine the curricular and programmatic offerings in response to changes in industry, and to help foster alumni and corporate connections for all of our students.

Konstantin Sokolov: Booth was the only place I applied to, and to this date, this is the best decision I ever made. I'm very proud of my time in Booth as it's played an absolutely fundamental and transformational role in my life and career. And it has defined everything that I have done in my life and business and in personal achievements. The lessons I learned 20 years ago remain very meaningful to date, and I hope you're going to have the same experience with the knowledge that you have acquired during your time in the Executive MBA. That is what Booth gives you. Not just a theory, not just a framework, but access to exceptional minds and peers who will challenge you, support you, and also inspire you.

Starr Marcello: His gift will strengthen the school's ability to deliver the absolute best executive MBA program in the entire world and continue to drive forward the school's excellence.

Paul Alivisatos: Konstantin, I’d just really like to toast you and to thank you. To Konstantin, thank you.

Konstantin Sokolov: Today marks the end of a very important period of your life, and also marks the beginning of the next one. I remember coming to this school 22 years ago, which had such a huge and tremendous impact on my life. You know, I can't emphasize it enough, because my values that were so much aligned with the school and seeing the like-minded people around me and be able to openly discuss complex ideas that have formed and shaped my understanding of the world, of course shaped my business practices, shaped how to do things that I wanted to achieve, this is invaluable, this is priceless. May your path be blessed with opportunities and growth, and congratulations on your incredible achievement. Thank you very much.