The Full-Time MBA program at Emory University's Goizueta Business School holds steady at number 23 among the nation's full-time MBA programs, according to BusinessWeek's 2008 ranking of full-time MBA programs.

Goizueta Business School Dean Larry Benveniste said, "Rankings are important, but they are historic snapshots. We have set out on a new path to refocus our MBA education around key competencies that drive our students' success. We have since rolled out a whole new MBA experience, and we are excited about our new direction."  

According to BusinessWeek editors, Goizueta Business School rose from 17 to 16 in the student survey and from 36 to 30 in the recruiter survey. These improved scores allowed Goizueta Business School to hold its number 23 ranking, amidst new competition from four schools not in the Top 30 in 2006.

Dr. J.B. Kurish, Associate Dean of the Full-Time MBA program, said, "The data from the BusinessWeek ranking will be useful in helping us calibrate our strategy, while we continue to execute our vision. We implemented major improvements this fall, including a new Full-Time MBA curriculum and the pilot of a new leader development initiative. We also increased the involvement of business leaders at the school. What is going on at the school is exciting, positive and powerful." 

In separate surveys during the last year, BusinessWeek ranked Goizueta Business School's W. Cliff Oxford Executive MBA program number 7, the Undergraduate (BBA) program number 5, and the Evening MBA program number 2.

The new Full-Time MBA curriculum is Goizueta Business School's response to the changing landscape of business. Corporations demand more from their MBAs and sooner. In addition, there are the new realities of business including globalization; heightened complexity of business environments; an acceleration in the pace of change; and, an increased focus on data-driven decision-making. The new curriculum is paired with a revamped leader development program.

BusinessWeek surveys graduating MBA students every two years to determine if their MBA experiences met their expectations. This ranking also includes surveys of MBA recruiters regarding their recruiting and hiring practices and their own rankings of the schools. The student survey and the recruiter survey each account for 45 percent of the total ranking. The remaining 10 percent is BusinessWeek's analysis of the school's intellectual capital, largely journal articles written by faculty.

Emory University's Goizueta Business School teaches students to become leaders who not only create value for their organizations, but also improve society. Founded in 1919, the School is home to an undergraduate degree program, a full-time MBA, a one-year MBA, an evening MBA, the W. Cliff Oxford Executive MBA (weekend and modular formats), and a doctoral program together with a set of innovative non-degree Executive Education programs. The School's mission is to educate principled leaders for global enterprise.

Duncan L. Niederauer did not take the role of CEO at NYSE Euronext, the world's largest exchange group, to collect a regular paycheck and hob knob with government officials across the globe. When he left Goldman, Sachs & Co. in early 2007, he saw the chance to take what he learned in 22 years at a company known for its technological prowess and apply it to the NYSE, an institution founded in 1792. Transforming the business model of an iconic company rooted in the eighteenth century to compete globally in the twenty-first century was no small feat. "The velocity of change was like nothing they'd ever seen," Niederauer explains.

On September 2, 2009, the day that Goizueta Business School became the first college or university to host the NYSE Euronext's closing bell ceremony, Niederauer joined Dean Larry Benveniste for a candid, student-only Q&A session that focused on leading through transformational change, the road less traveled, government regulation of financial markets, and the value of being oneself.

When Benveniste described Niederauer as a "no-nonsense guy," Niederauer agreed and explained that his transition from Goldman -and his more private, low-profile existence-to the head of one of the most public institutions in the world did take a bit of adjustment. "We're all cut differently. You have to be real," Niederauer tells the students. "Don't be somebody you're not." If you're acting, he adds, people see through that and you lose credibility.

Knowing who you are takes self-awareness, something Niederauer considers a necessary leadership quality. Knowing your strengths and how to leverage them is important, as is figuring out your weaknesses and working to improve them. A fan of the Robert Frost poem, "The Road Less Traveled," Niederauer drew examples from his career to illustrate that sometimes the best career move isn't the most obvious one. Although he spent 22 years at Goldman, Niederauer describes his tenure there as "six or seven three-year careers."

Other leadership qualities Niederauer deems important are accessibility and loyalty. "If you're loyal to your employees, they are loyal to the people who work for them," he explains. "One person can't change a culture."

He encouraged the students to "look to gain perspective" and not to lose one's compass. "My business card gets me in anywhere around the world," he says. "It has absolutely nothing to do with me."-Allison Shirreffs

On September 2, 2009, a group of business, academic, and political luminaries gathered at Emory's Goizueta Business School to participate in a discussion that examined "Lessons of the Global Financial Crisis and the Road Ahead.”

Duncan L. Niederauer 85MBA, CEO of the New York Stock Exchange Euronext, teamed up with Dean Larry Benveniste to introduce the 90-minute live, web-streamed talk moderated by Susan Lisovicz, CNN’s primary correspondent on the stock market, and joined by fellow participants Frank Black, CEO, The Home Depot Inc.; U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss; Daniel Amos, CEO, Aflac Inc.; and Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank CEO Dennis Lockhart.

In his welcome remarks to the packed house at Emory University’s Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, Benveniste called the present time “a teachable moment,” and Niederauer offered that there were “a lot of lessons to learn,” adding,“The question is, ‘are we going to learn them?’”

While all the panelists believe the economy is showing signs of recovery—albeit a subdued one—they’re not tagging consumer spending as the primary source of the economy’s growth. “The consumer is traumatized by the last two years and is very cautious,” noted Lockhart. In the long run, consumers who choose to save and invest rather than use credit to purchase goods, explained Lockhart, will lead to a more balanced economy.

Home Depot sales are closely tied to the housing market, one of the industries most affected by the sour economy. While Blake dubs the current economy “less bad” than a year ago, he doesn’t think people will feel reassured until the housing market stabilizes. Amos likened the shock of last year’s economic undoing to suffering a sports injury. “At first,” he said, “You’re stunned and worried about using it again.” So if not from consumer spending, what will drive U.S. economic growth? Benveniste believes that much of it will come from outside the U.S. “If we’re smart, we’ll embrace that,” he said.

The panelists expect a sustained debate over regulation and transparency in the financial markets. They advised against any new regulation that goes overboard. “We’ve got to make sure it’s not a knee-jerk reaction,” stated Sen. Chambliss, noting that too much regulation would stifle innovation and, potentially, hurt the competitiveness of U.S. markets. Niederauer, who sees increased regulation as “inevitable,” expressed concern that regulation be, in his words, “smarter—not just more.” He advised lawmakers to view future regulation from a systemic risk perspective.

Increased regulation and a proliferation of business ethics classes won’t stop those determined to disregard rules, noted several of the panelists. The key is to ensure that others feel confident enough—and have avenues available to them—to question what’s happening and not ignore their misgivings because things are going well.

Although economic indicators show improvement, the panel was cautious when predicting the state of the economy one year from now. By that time, the economic stimulus and the federal reserve interventions will have ended. "It will be a nervous time," noted Benveniste, who in addition to his academic achievements was a staff economist for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C.—Allison Shirreffs