Garrett Kubeisy (BA Business Administration ’20, Full-time MBA ’26) knew he wanted to transition to leadership-type roles within corporate finance. He decided to pursue an MBA to deepen his skillset, which brought him back to W. P. Carey.
After working full-time for a few years, Garrett Kubeisy (BA Business Administration ’20, Full-time MBA ’26) knew he wanted to transition to leadership-type roles within corporate finance. He decided to pursue an MBA to deepen his skillset, which brought him back to the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.
“I chose W. P. Carey because of its strong reputation in analytics and its emphasis on combining rigorous quantitative training with hands-on, team‑based projects,” says Kubeisy. “The program structure, access to the Executive Connections mentorship program, and small‑cohort feel made it a place where I could both stretch myself and build a long‑term network.”
Kubeisy shared with W. P. Carey News how his time in the Full-time MBA program changed his perspective on the finance industry, helped him build a strong network of classmates and mentors, and led him to a new career trajectory.
Why W. P. Carey?
For Kubeisy, returning to W. P. Carey for his MBA was an easy choice, based both on his previous experience at the school and its strong emphasis on data and technology use throughout its programs.
“As someone interested in finance and AI, I was also drawn to how often faculty incorporated real data, technology, and current business tools into coursework instead of keeping everything theoretical,” he says.
Also important to him was the program’s structure and how the experience of the Full-time MBA program fit within the broader W. P. Carey culture of Where Business is Personal.® Full-time students are part of a small cohort that allows for in-depth discussions and a high amount of collaboration.
“Working on complex projects with classmates who come from very different industries has pushed me to see problems from angles I would have never considered on my own,” says Kubeisy.
Opportunities outside of the classroom have also enriched Kubeisy’s experience. He joined and now serves as the co-president of the AI in Business Club at W. P. Carey, which has given him even more insight into how this industry continues to evolve through speaker events he helped organize.
“Those events didn’t just deepen my understanding of AI’s real‑world applications; they also helped my classmates and me build meaningful professional networks that will last well beyond graduation,” he says.
Why an MBA?
Coming into the Full-time MBA, Kubeisy knew he would be expanding his technical knowledge, especially in areas like finance and artificial intelligence — both subjects he chose to add as optional concentrations to his degree.
What the program quickly taught him was the importance storytelling plays in turning data into actionable insights in business. “I came in focused on models, forecasts, and technical accuracy, but W. P. Carey reinforced that none of that matters if you can’t communicate insights to non‑experts in a clear, compelling way,” he says.
The curriculum of the MBA program reinforced to Kubeisy that in order to be a strong leader who can make strategic decisions, a variety of skills are necessary. “Courses that integrated data, technology, and strategic decision‑making showed me how finance can be a driver of innovation, not just a scorekeeper for the business,” he says.
He’s also grateful for the opportunity to connect with faculty and members of his cohort, who represent a diverse group of industries and professions.
“My classmates bring global experience from industries like tech, healthcare, finance, and startups, so every group project becomes a mini‑consulting engagement with multiple perspectives at the table,” says Kubeisy.
Working closely with each other in class and on projects has allowed his cohort to build relationships that will last beyond graduation. “Those connections have made me more confident, more collaborative, and more aware of the different paths an MBA can lead to.”
What’s next?
Thanks to the skills and confidence he’s gained through the MBA, Kubeisy has earned the opportunity to join AT&T’s Finance Leadership Development Program (FLDP) after graduation. The program will allow him to gain experience in different areas of corporate finance, including financial planning and analysis, capital planning, and strategy.
“I’m excited to take what I’ve learned at W. P. Carey and apply it in a large, complex organization where finance plays such a central role in driving transformation,” he says.
His long-term goal is to grow into a financial leadership position with the company, where he can continue to utilize the skills of the MBA program — including data analysis, AI, and business strategy — to make a positive impact for the organization and its customers.
Kubeisy is excited to begin this new chapter of his career, and he appreciates what W. P. Carey and the Full-time MBA program have given him over the last two years.
“I’m grateful for how much I’ve grown during my time at W. P. Carey, not just in technical knowledge, but in confidence, clarity, and leadership,” he says. “The experience has been a turning point in my career and my life, and I’m excited to stay connected as an alum and support future students the way others supported me.”
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