Unlocking leadership potential: Lisa Patallas' Executive MBA experience
Lisa Patallas is a Senior Sales Manager for Government Relations at SaskTel, leading a team of sales and delivery experts. Lisa's role encompasses strategic engagement with various provincial government ministries, the health sector, and the provincial Crowns. Her team focuses on forging strong partnerships with key customers to offer ICT solutions and professional services. For Lisa, pursuing an Executive MBA was an item on her bucket list, that would serve to enhance her leadership capabilities and expand her career horizons.
Program flexibility and highlights of the UFred experience
For Lisa, UFred stood out among other institutions due to its sterling reputation, specialization streams, and fully online format. The flexible online format was necessary for Lisa to balance her studies with her demanding professional commitments and family responsibilities. Despite the challenges of managing a full-time job and family, Lisa adeptly navigated through the Executive MBA program, doubling up on classes to accelerate her progress when possible.
“I have a very busy family, a demanding professional role, and a team that depends on me… It was an investment of time and effort prioritized to fit into my life. The university makes it very easy to work at your own pace, and I was able to double up on classes along the way, which was essential to me.”
Lisa started the Executive MBA program with the intention of completing the Professional Selling and Leadership specialty courses. As the program went on, it became clear that her interests were more in line with the Global Leadership specialty courses, prompting her to make the switch. When discussing the change of specialty streams, Lisa said, “Each course pointed me to the path I am most passionate about: people, collaboration, building effective teams, and delivering results. Understanding the theory and the ability to insert it into practice was done successfully with each class.”
For Lisa, the highlight of her UFred experience was the opportunity to network with like-minded professionals and learn from experienced and knowledgeable professors. Lisa firmly believes that her UFred education has not only enhanced her current role but also opened new possibilities for future senior leadership positions.
Moving forward: Goals and advice to future students
Looking ahead, Lisa looks forward to pursuing more challenging roles within senior leadership and considers her Executive MBA to be a major catalyst. With newfound knowledge and skills, she is poised to make a lasting impact in her professional journey.
For those considering embarking on the Executive MBA journey, Lisa offers a piece of advice:
“I’d say jump in and do it. If you are willing to put in the time and effort this will be one of the best experiences you’ll have professionally. UFred’s program is a comprehensive, relevant, and enriching opportunity to learn, expand, and leverage sound strategies to address organizational goals and challenges.”