Discover Yara’s Story
Ticket to career advancement with Sprott’s Professional MBA
For Yara Al Guindy, taking the train from Toronto to Ottawa every other Friday is all part of the excitement of her Professional MBA (PMBA) journey.
“I think it’s actually part of the whole PMBA experience for me because it’s the traveling, the scenery, and being able to really focus and get things done,” she says.
As a Senior Manager of Marketing and Communications at Morneau Shepell, Yara decided to pursue her PMBA at Carleton’s Sprott School of Business as a way to enhance her business acumen, expand her professional network, and grow her leadership potential.
Work-life balance at Sprott
“Carleton’s PMBA is one of the best-kept secrets in the country,” explains Yara. “I wanted an MBA program designed for working professionals, allowing me to have flexibility and balance in my work and family life. I’ve looked into several programs, but Sprott was the only one that really worked for my schedule.”
With a small cohort of around 30 students, Sprott PMBA students take courses at Carleton on alternating weekends, with scheduling that allows extra time off during the holidays and summer months. Even with a format designed around work-life balance, students still complete their degree in just 16 months.
Immersive, collaborative learning
While Yara could have saved travel time by choosing an online program, she says venturing to Ottawa every other week has been a valuable part of the experience.
Beyond exploring a new city and stepping outside her comfort zone, in-person learning has connected her with colleagues in diverse roles and immersed her in collaborative problem-solving exercises.
“The interaction and the team dynamic and the value that each and every one of my colleagues and professors brings – you cannot compare that to an online program. We come from different backgrounds and work experiences and we have a really close-knit community. We know each other. We learn from each other. And this actually helps us build our professional network and create connections outside of work.”
Immediate career results
For Yara, her PMBA experience translated to a big career move before she had even completed the program.
“I got promoted to senior manager and part of that is because I was able to apply some of the learnings to my workplace directly,” she says.
“The formal education that the PMBA program provides helps me have a deeper understanding of business, make better decisions, build my leadership profile, and gain some of those necessary skills to enhance my career and really excel at what I do.”