“The time after my graduation was the period at Jazz St. Louis where we saw our biggest growth. I finally had something more than just intuition to go on—I had a framework to analyze problems and make better decisions.”
An immediate ROI
Bradford says he was able to immediately apply what he learned in the program in his role as President and CEO of Jazz St. Louis, a not-for-profit dedicated to performance, education, and outreach.
“The Executive MBA program was one of the most challenging and most rewarding things that I've been through. It's made me a better leader. It's made me a better follower.”
What he took away from the EMBA program
“The biggest takeaways for me have to do with leadership and how to move an organization forward. The time after my graduation was the period at Jazz St. Louis where we saw our biggest growth. I finally had something more than just intuition to go on—I had a framework to analyze problems and make better decisions.”
Choosing the WashU Executive MBA
“WashU has an excellent reputation. The Executive MBA program was the only program that I saw that would allow me to attend and get my degree, but still manage the affairs of Jazz St. Louis.”
A collaborative leadership style
Bradford compares his leadership style to jazz: “There's a lot of improvisation, but there's a lot of listening to people around you. A lot of realizing that everybody's voice is important and even though you may be the leader of the band, when you're on stage, everybody has an equal role to play.”
Gene Dobbs Bradford
President and CEO, Jazz St. Louis
Previous Employment
Director of Operations, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
Production Manager, Honolulu Symphony
Background
Education: BM, Double Bass Performance, Eastman School of Music
