Since its start in the mid-1980s, the University of Oregon's Portland-based Oregon Executive MBA program has been committed to serving the evolving needs of the mid- to senior-level leaders who make up its student body.
“Our students enter our program with high expectations, so we are dedicated to delivering forward-thinking innovation. One of the elements that makes our program stand out from other executive MBA programs around the world is our students" high level of professional achievement—an average of 15 years of work experience, including more than eight years in management. We are dedicated to continually evolving to meet their needs," said Oregon Executive MBA Executive Director Julianna Sowash.
Recent program advances include executive coaching and last year's debut of a convenient, twice-monthly schedule. Now, Oregon Executive MBA is pleased to announce several leadership transitions that will make it even better positioned to expand and refine its central mission of developing transformative leaders who are ready to find opportunities throughout the business landscape.
Julianna Sowash
Julianna Sowash is now executive director of the Oregon Executive MBA—a role in which she previously served from 1995 through 2010. After several years pursuing different professional interests, Sowash returned to the program in 2013 to serve as director of executive admissions. During her first year back, Sowash recruited Oregon Executive MBA's largest class to date. As she moves forward as the program's executive director, Sowash will continue to play a key role in the admissions process. She looks forward to working closely with the program's associate director of executive admissions, a position for which OEMBA will begin recruiting this summer.
Dave Preston
Oregon Executive MBA's new academic director Dave Preston brings a potent mix of business savvy and academic know-how to his role. A longtime instructor of leadership at Oregon Executive MBA, Preston has been CEO and COO of smaller new business ventures and before that spent 20 years at Intel where he led several new business initiatives. Preston has also been an angel investor and served on the board of the Oregon Entrepreneurs Forum. He earned his PhD at the Lundquist College of Business in 1997.
Jennie Leander
Jennie Leander serves Oregon Executive MBA students as assistant director for graduate affairs—a role that is new for the program. Leander brings extensive experience to her role in Portland, having worked in student services at the University of Oregon's Eugene campus since 2003, most recently in the Lundquist College's graduate programs office in Eugene. Leander describes her role as facilitating students' academic journey—both in and out of the classroom.
"Oregon Executive MBA's faculty and staff members bring with them years of experience in the worlds of business and academia. This powerful mix makes them particularly well suited to working with the high-achieving professionals who make up our student body. I'm excited to see what we will accomplish in the upcoming year," said Sowash.