When Kofi Smith decided to pursue a Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) at Georgia Tech, little did he know that two years later he would be at such a great place in his career. Smith recently became the director of facilities for Linc Facility Services, making this his second promotion since going through and completing the GEMBA program in 2008.

"During the program, they promoted me from facility manager to senior facility manager, which was a major success within itself. This new promotion came with a significant salary increase, bonus, and the incredible opportunity to make an even bigger difference and impact within this company," says Smith, who reached the director position within two and a half years, the fastest progression in the company's history.

For Smith, deciding to earn an MBA degree was not a tough decision because he knew it was something he ultimately needed in order to advance in his career. He wanted to gain a greater understanding in such business areas as finance and accounting.

Coming back to Georgia Tech to further his business education made sense to Smith, who earned his undergraduate degree in industrial engineering here in 1999. He says he recognized the value of a Georgia Tech degree and knew that "an MBA from Georgia Tech would make him more marketable."

Smith says he chose the GEMBA option because "the world is becoming globalized and it's important for people in business to understand how to function not only domestically, but also globally". 

He says he has already seen a significant return on his investment that is both tangible and intangible. "The knowledge and operation ROI was instantaneous," he says. "I was able to use and apply the concepts in real-time. In seven months, my easily noted and tangible ROI was getting promoted to director."

Smith credits his overall success to the GEMBA Program and its excellent professors along with the unmatched career advice he received.  "If you would like a guaranteed solution to become more competitive, more marketable, and move higher in your professional development, the Global Executive MBA Program is a must-do."