Executive MBA Graduate Shares Story, Advice with Aspiring Leaders

Scott Brooks ’21 EMBA, an associate program manager for Edgewell Personal Care, believes one of the most important benefits of the University’s Executive MBA program is the opportunity to interact with graduates of the program who have gone on to become successful leaders in their fields.

That’s why he made it a point to be in the audience for the most recent Executive MBA Speaker Series event that featured a lecture by Ferdinand L. Risco, Jr. ’09 EMBA, executive director of The Transit Authority of River City (TARC), the largest public transit agency in Kentucky.

“Attending a talk by an accomplished and successful alumnus of the EMBA program was both informative and inspiring,” said Brooks, who has spent nearly eight years in positions of increasing responsibility at Edgewell since earning a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

"To be able to infuse energy, passion, commitment, and connection is essential."Ferdinand L. Risco, Jr. ’09 EMBA

“I was most impressed with his engaging stories and real-world advice about leadership and change management,” Brooks continued. “The opportunity to sit down with him and ask questions after the talk clearly highlighted an advantage of this program – the impressive alumni network and their willingness to support the current class of students.”

As part of the talk, Risco, who is responsible for an organization that carries 15 million passengers annually, discussed the lessons he has learned in his career, the importance of diversity and inclusion, and his advice for current students.

“As a leader, the ability to inspire is the single most important leadership skill,” said Risco. “To be able to infuse energy, passion, commitment, and connection is essential. Thankfully, leaders like Michael Davis ’86 MBA, director of the University’s Executive MBA program, continue to model that skill in the EMBA program, just as he did for me years ago. Returning to the University and engaging with the next generation of leaders was truly inspiring for me. I hope I was able to inspire them.”

It wasn’t only students in the University’s Executive MBA program who found Risco’s talk impactful.

Megan Fearon ’21 M.A., a candidate in the University’s master’s degree program in industrial/organizational psychology, enjoyed hearing about his experience as a business leader and how he endeavors to understand his customers – and their stories – and the influence his leadership has on their lives.

“He told us he is a ‘numbers guy’ who endeavors to see the impact his decisions could make on everyday people,” she said. “He had an amazing story, and I enjoyed hearing about his successes when leading during times of uncertainty and transition.”