The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management prides itself on being made up of a diverse range of professionals from across the graduate business education and corporate landscapes. Our Board of Trustees is no exception, with representatives from each of our 20 member schools as well as alumni and leaders from some of our corporate partner companies.

Through this monthly series, we encourage you to go behind the scenes with us to get to know members of our Board of Trustees, beyond just their professional titles, as they respond to a series of fun, thought-provoking questions.

Prashant Malaviya, Senior Associate Dean, MBA Programs, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University

If you didn’t have to work, how would you spend your time?

I would be living in a small cottage in Bordeaux, France, exploring vineyards across the country and across Europe! Santé!  

What is your most unusual or interesting skill or hobby?

I am a pretty handy cricket player and can perform all the roles of batting, bowling and keeping wickets (Google this term!). 

What is the best piece of advice you ever received?

One of our Jesuit priests at Georgetown said to me that we should all be “humbitious” (which is a mash-up of humble and ambitious). This resonated with me very strongly, and I have tried to live by this advice ever since.

James Holmen, Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, Kelley School of Business MBA Program, Indiana University, Bloomington

What is your most unusual or interesting skill or hobby?

I’m not sure if this fully qualifies as a skill or hobby, but organizing provides me with great satisfaction. I could give Marie Kondo a run for her money. There’s nothing better than a productive afternoon cleaning and organizing my garage, finding a perfect place (or storage container) for everything. 

How do you start your day every morning?

In this world of digital media, I still love my morning newspaper. With a cup of strong black coffee in hand, sitting in my comfy chair and reading the newspaper from cover to cover gets my day off to a great start.

What is your favorite thing about the work that you do?

Throughout my many years of work in admissions, I have loved the opportunity to meet amazing MBA candidates and play a part in helping them change their lives. Watching our alumni succeed as they advance in their careers and make a positive impact is very gratifying — especially seeing the success of candidates I took a chance on when extending them an offer of admission.

Bryan L. Johnson, Sr. Associate Director of Admissions, Diversity and Inclusion, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

What is your most unusual or interesting skill or hobby?

My most interesting skill or hobby is that I’m an author. In 2015, I published a novel entitled IXI Rise of the King, which combines my Christian faith, my love of storytelling and my love of hip-hop. The story is like the movie 8 Mile combined with Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, and it explores the possible occult influences in popular music. We also recorded a hip-hop soundtrack that complements the story. I have several other stories in mind but haven’t taken the time to write another novel. 

What is your favorite quote, and why?

My favorite quote is, “Never wish life were easier, wish you were better.” –Jim Rohn

This is my favorite quote because it captures my attitude about challenges. I believe anything is possible, and if something is out of reach, I have the opportunity to improve until I reach that goal. I believe that a mindset of continuous improvement helps me to be more effective in every aspect of my life.

What is your favorite thing about the work that you do?

My favorite thing about the work I do is that it aligns perfectly with my purpose. I believe my purpose is to help people realize their potential through education. I remember when I was a prospective MBA student, I didn’t have many family, friends or people in my network who had pursued a full-time MBA. In my role, I get to help others by not only demystifying the MBA application process, but by also [empowering them to] use the MBA to achieve a purpose-driven career. I love helping students identify and achieve goals, then pay it forward to help others.