Matt Kessler, ’19

In the Philadelphia Phillies’ first season under new manager Gabe Kapler, the team emphasized “value at the margins” — making small, incremental changes that improve the team’s performance over the long run.

While Kapler and his coaches were new to Philadelphia, Matt Kessler, EMBA ‘19, has spent more than 15 years working for his hometown team. This year, with the team’s new guiding philosophy and “VAM” emblazoned on its uniform, Kessler decided to make an effort to add value to his skillset, and to the Phillies organization, through his studies in Drexel LeBow’s Executive MBA program.

Kessler knew early on that he wanted to have a career in sports, and though his undergraduate college did not offer a degree in sport management, he majored in government and politics and considered attending law school before taking an internship with a minor-league team. That was his leg up into entering the sports world, and the next season, he was in the major leagues with the Phillies.

“I knew I always wanted to go back to school, although I don’t know if there’s ever a perfect time for it,” he says. “Right now, there are lots of changes in the organization and in the industry as a whole.”

When he first considered the Drexel EMBA program during summer 2017, he contacted one of his Phillies’ clients who had been part of a previous EMBA cohort and sat in on classes during a visit to campus. “I saw that there would be interesting professors and talented classmates I knew I could learn a lot from,” he says.

Starting with the on-campus residency that began in the fall of 2017, Kessler says, “I knew I would have the opportunity to learn from people from all walks of life, and that was really energizing and eye-opening for me. It has been a challenge, but I have been amazed by how much I’ve learned from the cohort, both inside and outside of class.”

One highlight of the program for him included a Financial Reporting class with Assistant Clinical Professor  Albert DeRitis. “He’s someone who has been-there, done-that and brings so much real-life experience to his teaching.” Another highlight was Business Problem Solving with Suresh Chandran, PhD, associate clinical professor of management. “These case studies of well-known companies overcoming difficult obstacles really allowed me to look at things differently.”

Kessler looks at the EMBA program as something that will give him more value to the Phillies organization. “You always have to think about your current motivation, and you want to make sure you’re as valuable as possible.”

Kessler is also a valued graduate of the EMBA program. He takes the time to pass on his extensive knowledge by coming back to campus to educate students at Drexel’s LeBow College of Business.

“It’s a special experience,” said Kessler. “It’s exciting for me, I love doing it and I love being able to give back to the Drexel community.”