Q&A with Karin Mugnaini: On Why an MBA Still Delivers Long-Term Value

Editor’s Note: Welcome to The MBA Insider Series, a new ThinkMBA series spotlighting the individuals shaping business education today. In each edition, we speak with professors, program directors, and admissions leaders whose perspectives illuminate how MBA programs are evolving and what applicants should know before stepping into the classroom.

In this edition of The MBA Insider Series, we speak with Karin Mugnaini of world-renowned Schranner Negotiation Institute’s Schranner Consulting organization. Formerly the Head of the International Alumni Association at IMD and President & COO of the Lorange Network, she brings a uniquely international and strategic perspective on executive education, career growth and leadership. Drawing on her experience at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, Karin reflects on how the degree continues to shape not only career opportunities, but also mindset and identity.

“An MBA doesn’t just expand your career opportunities—it expands how you understand yourself as a leader.”

ThinkMBA (TA): If someone close to you asked whether an MBA is still worth it today, what would you tell them?

Karin Mugnaini (KM): Absolutely yes! Firstly, it is a master’s degree, and I feel that education that goes beyond the bachelor level is more than useful. It opens doors to new knowledge, new businesses and sectors, new networking (with professors, with distinguished university connections and with classmates) all which can be strategically applied in today’s increasingly competitive and challenging business world.

For me, the experience was transformational not only professionally, but personally. It broadened the way I thought about leadership, management, and opportunity itself.

TA: How long did it take to see a return on investment from your MBA?

KM: My ROI was almost immediate. Applying to work after my MBA, and also the professional connections I made through my alma mater, Georgetown University where I obtained my MBA, gave me boosts of “progress”. By progress I mean, better job possibilities, better positions, better responsibilities, better salaries. Being one of Georgetown McDonough School of Business’s first MBA classes, meant we were a smaller class – something I appreciated greatly. The learning felt almost VIP-like, in that our classes were relatively small, and we could therefore deeply engage and receive almost individualized attention.

TA: What was the most valuable outcome of your MBA?

KM: Leadership skills; a well-rounded business outlook that provided me with new, practical, useable perspectives; and confidence.

“It also highlighted the areas where I am not so strong, so that I had a better understanding of who I was not only as a person, but as a manager or leader.”

TA: What three things would you advise someone to do to truly maximize their MBA experience?

KM: Number one: Be highly focused in your learning, studying and participation, always. Don’t get sidetracked. Number two: Concentrate on improving both where you may be naturally strong, as well as where you may be or feel weak. Number three: Balance courses and work between those that you do as individual, and those that you do in groups (group work), because leadership involves both!

The Enduring Value of the MBA

While conversations about the value of business school continue to evolve, experiences like these highlight why the MBA remains relevant for many professionals today. Beyond salary increases or title changes, the degree often delivers something more lasting: broader perspective, stronger leadership capability, and a lifelong professional network.

For this MBA Insider, the value came not only from career acceleration, but from the confidence and self-awareness developed throughout the experiences that continue to shape leadership long after graduation.