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To MBA or Not? Mezzanine speaks on Entrepreneurs Panel
January 15, 2009
On January 15th, Lisa Shepherd joined a panel of 4 graduates of the MBA program at the Richard Ivey School of Business who each now run successful businesses. Their purpose was to discuss the role of formal education in the making of their careers. The event was hosted by Ivey’s Institute for Entrepreneurship for prospective MBAs who wanted to better understand if an MBA would serve them effectively. The panelists included Pierre L. Morrissette: President and CEO of Pelmorex Media Inc. (The Weather Network), Deland Jessop: Co-Founder of PolicePrep (police and fire entrance program preparation), Alexa Nick: Founding Partner of myPractice (online professional practice management), Jonathan Shell: Managing Director and Co-Founder of Vet Strategy (veterinary clinics), and Lisa Shepherd: Mezzanine Consulting (market intelligence and marketing planning). The group discussed how an MBA had served their careers, the role that other jobs and positions had played, and whether they’d do it all again. The audience of about 60 people had many questions, including whether entrepreneurs really need an MBA. The panel summed up their view that an MBA education had helped them make good decisions as entrepreneurs and had provided them with strong networks that accelerated their success – but ultimately an MBA is not a make-or-break component of a successful entrepreneurial career.
