Peter Drucker is widely credited with the all-encompassing mission statement, “The purpose of business is to acquire and retain customers.” If only it were that simple.

Financial resources, human capital, product development, distribution and marketing capabilities must be brought together, leveraged with a little bit of luck, and constantly evolving in order for an organization to gain and maintain its competitive edge.

Many Iowa organizations seem to understand this, and this evolution is apparent within the growing success of the Tippie School of Management Executive MBA (EMBA) Programs.

The EMBA Program currently has its highest total enrollment (116) at any time in the program’s 25-year history:

• In Cedar Rapids, 25 highly skilled business professionals are enrolled in the Dual Masters of Engineering Degree (Iowa State)/Tippie EMBA Program, with an additional 24 professionals enrolled in the traditional EMBA Program.
• In Des Moines, there are 23 EMBA professionals representing 22 organizations who are completing coursework to graduate this fall.
• The Iowa City EMBA Program, which started classes for the semester in August, has a record single-class enrollment of 44 experienced professionals earning their MBA through this Program.

According to Dawn Kluber, Program Director, “Demand is up and we are already seeing strong interest from leaders who will begin their EMBA experience next fall in Iowa City!"

In addition to this effort, the School of Management continues to expand its footprint throughout the state. Dean Gardial recently approved plans for another EMBA program to begin in Des Moines in January 2014.

So how has the program evolved for success? The answer is simple: the Faculty in the School of Management are dedicated to staying up-to-date and knowledgeable about economic, financial, organizational and global business trends.

In a recent conversation with Doug Allen, IBM Technical Sales Manager (EMBA '12), staying relevant was top of mind:

“In my current role, I am responsible for teams that help customers achieve their business goals through the application of information technology. Therefore, having an understanding of my customers’ business is fundamental. The EMBA program enables me to gain a deeper understanding of the operations and many challenges faced by several industries in today’s dynamic marketplace. This additional level of insight helps me ask better questions and more appropriately identify the tactical and strategic business needs of my customers. My team is then better equipped to work with our customers in the application of technology for their current and future business needs."

If Doug's sentiments are any indication of shared experiences, then with as many as 116 satisfied Executive MBA students, the evolution and success of Tippie’s EMBA program makes for a good case study for embracing Peter Drucker’s advice.

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