Based in Shanghai, Emma Wang has built an impressive international career that spans management consulting at McKinsey and Egon Zehnder to leadership in private equity at FountainVest, where she focuses on buyout investments and post-deal value creation. She has negotiated with CEOs over deal terms, advised boards on strategy, and guided companies toward operational excellence. Recently, she decided it was time to refresh her perspective.

“I have done a lot of training in my career—strategy, leadership, soft skills—but I realized the world is changing very rapidly and I needed to catch up,” she explained. “I did not want the typical executive MBA. I wanted to go somewhere deeply academic, somewhere serious about learning and knowledge.”

That search led her to MIT Sloan Executive Education’s Global Executive Academy (GEA).

Pursuing Academic Depth Over Networking

Many executive programs emphasize professional networking and peer connections. For Wang, her priority was intellectual growth and academic rigor.

“In China, there are many executive programs, but most are focused on networking—meeting entrepreneurs and building relationships,” she said. “That is great, but it is not what I was looking for. I wanted a place where people are serious about learning.”

When she discovered the Global Executive Academy, she immediately recognized that the structure and content aligned with her goals. The global nature of the program and the emphasis on combining theory with practice resonated with her.

“The idea of meeting people from very diverse backgrounds and doing so at a time when globalization is being redefined was fascinating,” she said. “It felt like the right moment to explore that conversation.”

(Left to Right: Emma Wang at the MIT dome, MIT.nano Laboratory, MIT Sloan Professor Jared Curhan teaching negotiation strategies)

Lessons That Transform Thinking

Once in Cambridge, Wang fully immersed herself in the experience, finding inspiration both inside and outside the classroom. Among the standout sessions were courses led by Jared Curhan, Jake Cohen, and Sheila Dodge, each leaving a meaningful impression.

The negotiation topic with Professor Jared Curhan was particularly impactful. Despite her extensive experience negotiating multimillion-dollar deals, Wang found the material engaging and original.

“I negotiate all the time—with executives about KPIs and budgets, and with my children about screen time,” she said, smiling. “They are on their phones as we speak.”

What distinguished the MIT experience, she explained, was the teaching approach. “It was not about being fed information. The professors led us to discover insights ourselves. Of course, we discussed concepts like win-win outcomes and trust, but they were presented in such a powerful, experiential way.”

The corporate finance topic covered by Senior Lecturer Jake Cohen was another highlight. Although Wang reviews financial statements daily, she found the discussion refreshingly insightful. “After the case walkthrough, I thought, ‘There are some powerful lessons here,’” she said. “The way he explained the material made me look at the same data from a completely different perspective.”

Finally, the System Dynamics frameworks from Lecturer Sheila Dodge reflected what Wang described as “very MIT-like” qualities: rigorous, hands-on, and deeply logical. “It combined theory and practice effectively. You could immediately see how to apply the frameworks to real-world problems,” she said.

The Value of the MIT Experience

For Wang, the most memorable part of the Global Executive Academy was the balance of academic depth and practical relevance. “These topics were not completely new,” she reflected. “But the way they were taught made them come alive and prompted me to think differently about how I make decisions and lead teams.”

She also valued the diversity of the cohort, which included executives from a wide range of industries and regions. “We still keep in touch,” she said. “There is a LinkedIn group and a WhatsApp group, and we talk frequently. I am the only participant from mainland China, so I have invited everyone to visit whenever they are in this part of the world.”

That cross-cultural exchange was exactly what she had hoped to experience. “The conversations inside and outside the classroom were incredibly enriching,” she said. “It reminded me that even when globalization feels uncertain, there is still so much to learn from one another.”.

Continuing Her Learning Journey

Completing Global Executive Academy is one milestone in Wang’s ongoing commitment to professional and personal development. She has already planned her next phase of learning, focusing on digital business.

“I have signed up for more digital-related courses,” she said. “When I visited the MIT labs, I was fascinated. They may not look high-tech from the outside, but you can sense the innovation happening inside.”

She also plans to take courses that align with her personal interests. “I want to explore subjects that are not necessarily tied to work. That is the true pleasure of learning,” she said.

Emma Wang’s Reflections and Recommendations

When asked if she would recommend the program to others, Wang did not hesitate. “Absolutely,” she said. “If you are seeking an intellectually stimulating environment where you can update your thinking, learn from excellent professors, and engage with people from around the world who are equally passionate about growth, MIT Sloan Executive Education is the place.”

Her experience demonstrates what makes MIT Sloan Executive Education distinctive: the combination of global perspectives, rigorous inquiry, and lasting impact.

As Wang summarized, “It is not only about adding new skills. It is about rediscovering the joy of learning and applying it everywhere, whether you are negotiating a deal or negotiating screen time at home.”

Ready to start your learning journey at MIT Sloan Executive Education? Learn more about Global Executive Academy.