Two recent grads among P&Q’s “Best & Brightest EMBAs”

Poets & Quants’ recently released “2017 Best & Brightest EMBAs” include two Olin standouts: Brian Estes and Katherine Buehner.

At 28, Brian Estes became the youngest Vice President in the history of A.G. Edwards and Sons, so it’s no surprise he was named one of St. Louis Business Journal’s “40 Up and Comers” shortly after. He’s now a Venture Capital partner at The St. Louis Arch Angels and SixThirty FinTech Accelerator.

“My biggest regret was not starting 10 years ago,” Brian tells Poets & Quants. “The program is so interesting and valuable that it’s a shame I did not take advantage of this educational opportunity when I was younger.”

“Brian brings a wealth of experience, an impressive track record, a no-nonsense approach, and a collegial attitude to his EMBA cohort,” says Stuart Bunderson, Associate Dean and Director of Executive Programs and the Co-Director of the Bauer Leadership Center.

“He is a natural leader who holds himself and other to the highest standards of excellence without coming across as negative, impatient, or superior. His passion for excellence pushes us as faculty and as a program to greater heights. We are very fortunate to have Brian in our program.”

Katie was flying Blackhawk helicopters before enrolling in the Executive MBA program, where she started a new professional chapter: entrepreneurship.

She partnered with a classmate to open a staff business. “We launched the company six weeks earlier than we had expected and grew four times quicker than we had anticipated,” she tells Poets & Quants. “The company was turning a profit in four months.”

Her impressive background—trailblazing in a male-dominated industry to a fearless transition into business—also caught the eye of both The Denver Business Journal and The National Business Journal, who profiled her this year.

“Katie  is hard-working, team-oriented, and incredibly bright. She gets things done without drama and in a professional way,” Bunderson told Poets & Quants. “But what is perhaps most notable about Katie – and incredible given her impressive military track record – is that she is just simply a delightful person…a humble, nice, and delightful person. Every one of her classmates would love to have her on their team.”

Congratulations, Katie and Brian!