Maryland Smith’s Mulchandani and Zeiser Among Poets & Quants’ Class of 2021 Best and Brightest EMBAs

Kabir Mulchandani and Jessica Zeiser, representing the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business Executive MBA Program, are featured among the world’s ”Best and Brightest Executive MBAs in the Class of 2021” by Poets & Quants, the digital news outlet dedicated to global coverage of business education.

Mulchandani is managing director of global cybersecurity managed service and Asia-Pacific security consulting for Synopsys Inc., in Herndon, Virginia. Zeiser is director of business development and client services for Selman & Company in Baltimore.

Zeiser credited Rudolph Lamone Chair of Strategy and Entrepreneurship Rajshree Agarwal’s CEO of Me lecture during an “EMBA for a Day” session as “pivotal” to her choosing Maryland Smith.

“[Agarwal’s] probing questions, inspiring session, and fantastic book recommendations left me wanting more,” she told P&Q. “Additionally, the camaraderie that was apparent amongst the panel of alumni who spoke to us that day was captivating, honest, and hilarious. Together they made it clear that this was the right home for me.”

The program subsequently benefited from Zeiser’s decision, said Rob Sheehan, academic director of Maryland Smith’s Executive MBA program. “She has been a very active leader on the cohort’s task force on diversity, equity, and inclusion and brings a servant leader’s attitude to every group project. As one of her classmates has said, ‘With a big heart, she brings passion to everything she does.’”

For Mulchandani, Maryland Smith was instrumental in his role transition, from customer-facing to operational management at Synopsys. “It was a big change. Not only did I have a large and new team to manage, but I also was responsible for transforming the business from a cost center to a profit center,” he told P&Q. “Within a little over a year, and while tackling the challenges of the pandemic, I was able to successfully transform the organization and drive positive results in terms of both revenue and efficiency – the latter by more than 25%.

“My experiences at Maryland Smith enabled me to lead with confidence, (and) manage a team of high performing individuals, and inspired me to create and execute a clear vision and strategy,” he added.

Mulchandani likewise lifted members of his cohort, said Joseph Bailey, Maryland Smith associate research professor. “Kabir’s entrepreneurial vision inspired his classmates to join his startup in the entrepreneurship action learning project… He inspired this group to work as a team and create something bold, creative, and innovative,” Bailey told P&Q. “Kabir was able to leverage each person’s strengths so that they were engaged and in sync with each other. Kabir led by example through hard work, humility, and ambition. Moreover, with the help of his team, he was able to integrate the concepts across the EMBA curriculum and show why entrepreneurship requires a holistic approach.”

Zeiser similarly described her Maryland Smith cohort as “filled with engaging, insightful, and extremely talented individuals… In some ways, I have learned as much from them as I have from the formal program, and I cannot thank them enough for that.”

Read more: Jessica Zeiser’s profile and Kabir Mulchandani's profile.