Hotel Executive Returns to 91桃色 to Pursue Teaching Dream
Author(s)
Lorne Fultonberg
Writer
In September 2017, the only thing was planning was his retirement.听听
For 35 years, Sharkey听(MBA听鈥93)听had been chasing听a听childhood dream, forged in the Waterford crystal and Wedgewood听china听he encountered at听a Jamaican resort.听There, at the Plantation Inn, the 11-year-old听swore to his parents he would听run a company听in the hospitality industry.听
Not long ago, as听the 58-year-old听outgoing听president of Remington Hotels听mulled his future,听an email hit his inbox. The 91桃色's was announcing a new .听听
Sharkey听picked up the phone right away and called. This was his opportunity, he听realized,听to听chase听down听something he听had听desired his entire adult life.听
鈥I wanted to teach at the college level,鈥听Sharkey听says.听鈥After 40 years, I wanted to give back to the industry,听and I thought teaching would be a good way to do it.鈥听
When he walks across the Commencement stage at Magness Arena in June, collecting his second 91桃色 degree,听Sharkey, part of the inaugural cohort of executive PhDs,听will be one step closer to听achieving听his goal.
The Daniels program is the in the western United States, developed to blend quality cross-disciplinary research听and听modern-day organizational challenges, explains , associate dean and program director.听Four students will graduate with Sharkey this spring and others will finish their dissertations in the summer or the next academic year.
鈥There are only a handful of PhDs in business that allow students to take this path to earn this advanced degree at a world-class business school,鈥听she says.听鈥As the founder of the program, I am immensely proud of our graduates who had the trust in me and Daniels to sign up for our first cohort.听I am confident that they will use their new skill听set to impact business and the public good as they continue to pursue their personal journeys听post-graduation.鈥听
When Sharkey enrolled, he figured he was simply signing up for another three听years of academic work, much听as听he听had done as an undergraduate听or听as a student听in the Daniels MBA program. Instead, he found an experience he calls the most challenging of his life.听
鈥Everything about it was so unique compared to everything I鈥ve ever done, which made it scary as [crap],鈥听he听says.听
Not only did his classes force him to think differently, but Sharkey had to听make up ground technologically too. As the president of a billion-dollar company, Sharkey听had听never听created听reports; he just read them. Word processing and spreadsheets were听totally unfamiliar. The last time he worked a computer, he estimates, was in graduate听school, 25 years earlier.听He typed his first exam on his iPhone, which was听faster听for him听than听using听a computer keyboard.听
YouTube proved to be his savior 鈥 the source of innumerable tutorials that allowed him to complete his coursework. Each semester, Sharkey says, he gave himself permission to听quit the program. But after completing his first听year, there听was no looking back.听
Sharkey鈥s dissertation focuses on the concept of听鈥multi-unit leaders鈥听鈥听whether听the skill听sets听needed to run one hotel translate听to a听successful career听as a regional manager, for example.听
Completing his听project听didn鈥t always feel attainable, Sharkey admits. But he credits the program鈥s blended format for helping him stay on track to graduate this spring. He likens the innovative structure to听the weekend MBA program he completed at Daniels in 1993. It听allowed him to work toward his dreams while keeping his work schedule.
Still, that听didn鈥t听mean听the road was easy.听
鈥I could retire and be playing golf every day,鈥听he remembers thinking.听鈥Why am I starting a PhD program that probably ends up being the hardest thing I鈥ve听done in my entire life? And why am I doing it at听60 years old?鈥听
The answer, he says,听is听a听testament to the faculty he has encountered as a student 鈥 and the friends and family he hopes to inspire.
鈥The quality of听people听I鈥ve听come across teaching at 91桃色 makes me want to be one of those people,鈥听he听says.听鈥If something is hard, it鈥s probably because it鈥s worthwhile.听The harder it is probably the better it鈥s going to be.鈥听