Executive Director/Assistant Portfolio Manager, PGIM Real Estate
Current City: New York, NY
Citizenship: United States
Executive MBA Student Profile Kathy Thurston
Tracy Loh: 00:05
I would describe the Chicago Booth classroom as 85 triple-a personalities all in one room. You're best friends all together, challenging each other, sometimes shouting over each other with thoughts and dialogue and discussion. A very energizing place to be. It's all about the data at Chicago Booth and I think the Chicago Booth student gets that and that's why we're all here. We want facts to back up what we think or what our thesis is, and Booth gives that to you and helps you as a student distill that. Each of the professors have made an impact in one way or another. I had a professor say to me, he thinks that I could be on a CEO track and prior to joining Booth, I would have never thought that or I had those doubts in my head, am I ready for that next step?
“I chose Chicago Booth primarily because of the format. I needed an education that had a flexible schedule for me to balance my family, my work, life. I also needed a challenge. I looked at a lot of different programs to go back to school because it’s my choice, it needed to be right for me. I didn’t want to check the box. No one is making me get my MBA. This was for my thirst for knowledge.”
— Kathy Thurston
Kathy Thurston: 00:06
So I got my first sampling of Booth through Chicago Management Institute, CMI. It's a great program, intensive, but it really left me kind of thirsting for the full Chicago Booth experience. I'm a managing director with The Private Bank here in Chicago. I'm a mom, three awesome kids and husband of nearly 25 years. My children love the fact that I'm going back to school, so we compare notes on studying, on cramming for tests on, stress. I chose Chicago Booth primarily because of the format. I needed an executive education that had a flexible schedule for me to balance my family, and my work, life. I also needed a challenge.
Kathy Thurston: 00:51
I looked at a lot of different programs and it needed to be right for me. I didn't want to check the box. No one's making me get my MBA. This was for my thirst for knowledge. Many, many people I work with have gone to Chicago Booth. Many of my clients go to Chicago Booth, and so it was at the top of my list. My studies have made me more efficient at work. Every weekend you come out and you're ready to go back to work with something new that you can try. I think after the executive MBA, I will have the tools and the confidence I need to take that next step, and the program gives you some clarity of thought as you go through and parse through what you want to be when you grow up.