2024 Best & Brightest Executive MBA: Matt Hawkins
Matt Hawkins
Emory University
Goizueta Business School
“Always trying to learn and find a better way to do things.”
Hometown: Auburn, Indiana
Fun fact: I am the sole proprietor for my own LLC (Hawkins Healthcare Consulting, LLC) via which I provide consulting and speaking services for hospitals and practices looking to improve day-to-day operations and revenue cycle management.
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Stretching way beyond my comfort zone by learning (and occasionally even grasping) lessons in our Data & Decision Analytics and Decision Modeling classes.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? When I moved to Georgia in 2014, I was the first pediatric-trained interventional radiologist in the state. Since that time, our practice has seen a ten-fold increase in both volume and revenue, and we’ve introduced new procedures for children that have since been adopted by numerous institutions nationwide. Growing our practice while helping pioneer a new field will always be of what I am most proud.
Who was your favorite MBA professor at Goizueta? Completely unfair question. The quality of the faculty was remarkable. But if I had to choose just one, I would choose Omar Rodríguez-Vilá and thank him for overcoming so much to deliver an absolutely stellar marketing management class.
Why did you choose Goizueta’s Executive MBA program? It was the excellent reputation of the program and faculty. I would add proximity to work and family (I was very lucky to have Goizueta Business School right next door). Rave reviews from prior EMBA students at Goizueta impressed me too.
What is the biggest lesson you gained during your MBA and how did you apply it at work? I learned how critical it is for strategy, operations, and finance to align within an organization. I also learned how frequently this is poorly done. This lesson is pertinent to many decisions I make at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Simply understanding “what are we trying to achieve?” and then, setting up the operational and financial systems to support those efforts can go a long way in healthcare.
Give us a story during your time as an Executive MBA on how you were able to juggle work, family, and education? It was really a five-semester story. I completed assignments at the hospital between and after procedures. I was on call every third or fourth weekend, and completing readings and/or assignments on most of the other weekends. My family understood the undertaking, but certainly took the brunt.
What advice would you give to a student looking to enter an executive MBA program? Applicants should truly understand (and be able to articulate) why they want an MBA. And once you accept a position in a program, you have to be fully committed. Without full commitment, you will not get all of the wonderful benefits from the program and your classmates.
What was your biggest regret in business school? I would have loved more time to take more electives, as well as taken more time to visit with classmates outside of school.
Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Another completely unfair question. I have learned from SO many of my classmates, it is impossible to pick just one. But if I have to list a few: Travis Potts for his diligence and humor; Jess Orr for being a steadying force on any team; and Brian Huband for teaching us how to overcome the challenges that life throws at us.
What was the main reason you chose an executive MBA program over part-time or online alternatives? If I was going to pursue an MBA, I knew I needed to be “all-in” and engaged to learn and improve. This was never about a degree. This was about improving what I know and changing how I think.
What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? Become CEO of a large, pediatric healthcare organization. Overseeing an organization driven to help kids become their healthiest adult selves is my aspiration.
