How the Online MBA at W. P. Carey helped Grace O'Sullivan become a leader at ASU

The Online MBA at ASU's W. P. Carey School of Business was designed with the working professional in mind. All of this sold Grace O'Sullivan (Online MBA '10) on W. P. Carey and the Online MBA program, which set her on a path to her current leadership position at ASU.

The Online MBA at ASU's W. P. Carey School of Business was designed with the working professional in mind. It offers flexibility with scheduling and course selection while offering the same content from the same faculty as the in-person MBA formats.

All of this sold Grace O'Sullivan (Online MBA '10) on W. P. Carey and the Online MBA program. "Some universities have a separate faculty teaching online, or it's a whole different entity," she says. "But at ASU, the degrees that are online are taught by the same faculty as campus immersion courses, so the quality of the online degree was definitely a reason why I chose it."

The program set O'Sullivan on a path that has led her to her current position as Vice President of Corporate Engagement, Strategic Partnerships, and Economic Development at ASU's Knowledge Enterprise. To this day, she says she continuously draws upon the skills, knowledge, and experience she gained from her MBA.

"I would say [I use] budgeting, strategic planning, but most of all, how to work and lead in diverse teams," O'Sullivan says. "You really think about how you individualize, how you adjust to people's learning styles, and how you focus on people's strengths."

Growing as a leader

The Online MBA curriculum teaches students how to become connected leaders who can listen to and collaborate with others and incorporate multiple perspectives into their problem-solving. The program emphasizes human skills like active listening and ethical decision-making to create strong leaders who can bring teams together.

"Also, [I learned about] motivating people," says O'Sullivan. "How do you get people to engage and contribute? How do you deal with life events, things that just happen, illnesses, family emergencies, et cetera? We really learned how to work together as a really cohesive team."

Being able to collaborate with fellow students from a variety of backgrounds and industries gave O'Sullivan the opportunity to hear different perspectives and expand her network in ways she may not have if not for the MBA.

"What stood out about my experience was just the diversity of my classmates," she says. "I feel like I learned so much just in the group in my small cohort. I worked with people from aerospace and defense, health and biotech engineering, and semiconductors. These are people I probably wouldn't have had the opportunity to get to know or network with had I just been in my career by myself."

She has since brought this experience into her work building cross-sector strategic partnerships on behalf of ASU.

She adds, "I really built these lifelong friendships that we still stay in touch after the degree, many, many years later."

Making her mark

O'Sullivan credits her Online MBA experience with helping her advance in her career, both by giving her the business skills she needed as well as bolstering her confidence.

"I work with people who are CEOs, they are PhDs, MDs, JDs, and by having an MBA, it gave me the confidence to bring a new perspective to the work that we do," she says. "Also, from a leadership perspective, it really helped me advance in my career. I had new skills to lean on, and it really showed my managers that I was serious about investing in myself and my career advancement."

She's proud to use the skills she developed at W. P. Carey to give back to the university in her role as Vice President of Corporate Engagement, Strategic Partnerships, and Economic Development. She's been at ASU for almost 19 years and has spent much of her time there helping the university form strategic partnerships within the public and private sectors.

ASU's strong reputation for innovation is something that excites O'Sullivan and keeps her interested in her position. "My team and I, we wake up every morning thinking about, 'How can we just be 10% more innovative today to advance the charter and ASU?'" she says.

"I'm also excited about the role that ASU is playing in this regional development and growth and economic development, attracting businesses to come and grow and have high-paying jobs in the region. Phoenix is really shifting in the landscape of the place to be for innovation, and our team is just so proud to be part of that."

Being a W. P. Carey Sun Devil

O'Sullivan is proud to still represent the school that gave her the tools to reach the point in her career she's at today. To her, being a Sun Devil means "you're gritty, you're solutions-oriented, you think quickly on your feet, and you're highly collaborative."

To those who are considering or are about to start a graduate business program at W. P. Carey, she strongly encourages students to take advantage of the school's large, strong alumni base.

"You're already plugged into this massive network of leaders," says O'Sullivan. "I would say really tap into the network that you're building here, not only with your classmates, but with your professors, with leaders in the community, with the huge alumni network. We're just eager to connect with you. And don't forget to reach out."

She adds, "For example, I always respond to requests from W. P. Carey and ASU alums on LinkedIn, so try to get yourself out there and take advantage of everything."