An original
Walter David “Bud” Fackler made such an impression on his Executive MBA students at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business that they still keep in touch with his widow, Hazel Fackler. In fact, after his death in 1993, his students began fundraising for scholarships in his name, which turned into a campaign to fund the Walter David “Bud” Fackler Professorship. At the time, the gifts from the initial 763 donors marked the largest such pooled gift fund in the school’s history. “Every one of his students seemed to have a special story that they like to tell about him,” says Hazel Fackler. “Every single one of his students was special to him.” His students were not the only fans of Bud Fackler, whose legendary generosity extended to all in his sphere and helped bolster the fledgling Executive MBA industry. At the University of Chicago, which initiated the first EMBA Program in 1943, Bud Fackler embodied openness and a willingness to share. Indeed many administrators and faculty visited the University of Chicago to talk with Fackler and observe the Chicago model before they put their program in place. Bud Fackler’s generosity and spirit was carried forward in the organization that he helped found, the EMBA Council. The council, in turn, honored him and his efforts by establishing the Bud Fackler Service Award, which recognizes contributions to the EMBA Council and to EMBA Programs worldwide, including efforts to help other programs, to share best practices, and to raise the quality of EMBA Programs. Bud Fackler was the first recipient of the award in 1987.
The most recent winner: Jeffrey Petty
Jeffrey Petty

In August 2024, Jeffrey Petty assumed a new role at University of Lausanne (UNIL), Faculty of Business and Economics – vice dean of impact and quality with responsibilities for accreditation, continuing education, research centers, and EMBA.

His new job required him to leave his position as academic director for the EMBA Program, but he still remains connected to EMBA as vice dean.

“I was pleased with my new role that I was going to stay in EMBA world,” says Petty, who enjoys a long history with EMBA and with EMBAC.

In October 2024, Petty received the 2024 Bud Fackler Award from EMBAC, acknowledging his work to advance the EMBA industry and EMBAC as the voice of the industry.

The Bud Fackler Service Award recognizes contributions to EMBAC and to EMBA Programs worldwide, including efforts to help other programs, to share best practices, and to raise the quality of EMBA Programs. The council named the award after Bud Fackler, the late director of the EMBA Program at the University of Chicago and one of the council’s founders.

Petty served on the EMBAC Board of Trustees from 2016 to 2019 and as board chair from 2017 to 2018. Since then, he has continued as a volunteer on the EMBAC Research Committee and on the Working Professionals Task Force.

“We at EMBAC are so thankful for Jeffrey’s past contributions as a board member and chair and for his continued involvement,” says Michael Desiderio, EMBAC executive director. “In particular, his work on the Research Committee has supported EMBAC’s efforts to gain a greater understanding of industry trends, shifts, and changes, including the innovative ways that programs respond to a fast-changing market.”

With Petty’s academic focus on entrepreneurship, the award comes with great meaning.

“In my career, it’s the most important award I’ve received because I really do think that EMBA is, in many schools, like a lab, a place to experiment and try new ideas,” he says. “The Bud Fackler award represents that spirit of innovation and excellence.”

Petty’s career includes three distinct chapters – military service, work in the entrepreneurship, venture capital, and private equity space, and the third, and most rewarding to him, academia.

Petty joined UNIL in 2006 as an adjunct instructor with a desire to introduce students to entrepreneurship before becoming an assistant professor and the director of the Executive MBA in 2013. He became a full professor of entrepreneurship and innovation in 2019 and served as the director of the Department of Strategy, Globalization, and Society before joining the dean's office.

Petty has taught courses on entrepreneurial finance, entrepreneurship, corporate strategy, technology and innovation management, knowledge management, and research methods. He also helped to establish the HEC UNIL Entrepreneurship Accelerator, which offered business students the opportunity to test all types of new ventures (no tech, low tech, and high tech) through experiential learning. The university then expanded the effort to launch the UNIL Entrepreneurship & Innovation Hub for all students across all seven faculties of  the university.

In addition to serving as vice dean, he also remains academic director of the UNIL Entrepreneurship and Innovation Hub.

Throughout the years, EMBAC has helped Petty strengthen the EMBA Program at UNIL, and, in turn, Petty shares his knowledge with members.

“Every time I go to a council meeting or interact with anyone on the Research Committee, I learn something new that can add value to our program or someone else’s program,” he says. “I can honestly say I am or have been a member of many academic associations, but this one I’ve gotten the most out of and I’ve been the most involved in by choice.”

EMBAC offers its members a place to share. “I feel the collaborative nature is always there, it defines who we are. I think we embody what associations were meant to be and we still are.”

THE HONOR ROLL


The council announces the Bud Fackler Award winner at its annual conference. The list of past winners includes the following outstanding leaders.

1987
 / Bud Fackler, University of Chicago

1988 / Herbert (Pete) Lyons, University of Houston

1989 / Tom Ference, Columbia University

1990
 / Ernie Scalberg, University of California at Los Angeles

1992 
/ Chuck Hickman, Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International

1993
 / Ed Wilson, Northwestern University

1995 
/ Susan Bunker, University of Colorado

1996
 / Kathryn Carlson, University of Minnesota
Dave Ewert, Georgia State University

1998
 / Norm Berman, New York University

1999
 / George Abraham, University of New Hampshire

2000 
/ Martin Rapisarda, Vanderbilt University
Erica Kantor, Northwestern University

2001 
/ Penny Oslund, University of North Carolina
Connie Rieben, University of Wisconsin–Madison

2002
 / Dave Poole, Pepperdine University and Chapman University

2003
 / Marci Armstrong, Southern Methodist University

2004
 / Graduate Management Admission Council®

2005 
/ Cathy Molony, University of Pennsylvania

2006 
/ Michael Saewitz, Campus Text

2007 
/ Maury Kalnitz, first Executive MBA Council managing director

2008 
/ George Bobinski, Binghamton University/SUNY

2009 
/ Anne Herbert, Helsinki School of Economics

2010 / John Fraser, University of Iowa
Patty Keegan, University of Chicago

2011 
/ Maria-Eugenia Marin, IE Business School

2012
 / Beatrix Dart, University of Toronto

2013
 / Brad Vierig, University of Utah

2014
 / Gonzalo Freixes, UCLA

2015
 / Louise Kapastka, University of Washington

2016
 / Barbara Millar, University of Virginia

2017
 / Nicole Tee, Nanyang Technological University

2018
 / Karin Wiström, Stockholm School of Economics

2019
 / Bernadette (Bernie) Birt, University of Pennsylvania

2020
 / Elmer Almachar, Northwestern University

2021
 / Sylvia Haas, UC Irvine

2022
 / Matthew Gibb, ESSEC Business School

2023
 / Jamie Breen, University of California, Berkeley

2024
 / Jeffrey Petty, University of Lausanne (UNIL)

Voice of winners

Bud Fackler winners share their perspectives on EMBAC

Gonzalo Freixes, UCLA
Barbara Millar, University of Virginia
Louise Kapastka, University of Washington
Nicole Tee, Nanyang Technological University
Karin Wiström, Stockholm School of Economics
Bernadette (Bernie) Birt, University of Pennsylvania
Elmer Almachar, Northwestern University
Sylvia Haas, UC Irvine
Matthew Gibb, ESSEC Business School

Receiving the award also made me feel very proud to be part of a group that creates and sustains a strong collegial culture, much like our students experience in our programs…I remain proud to have been part of an organization whose primary goal was and continues to be creating value for its members.

1996 KATHRYN CARLSON University of Minnesota
Customer Testimonails

In 2004, and still today, it meant everything to be the only organization to have been honored with the Fackler Service Award. It was an acknowledgement from an organization we greatly respect – the EMBA Council – that we were succeeding at staying true to the purpose given to us by schools when they created GMAC in 1953.

2004 GRADUATE MANAGEMENT ADMISSION COUNCIL® Sabrina White, Vice President, Americas
Customer Testimonails

It was a humbling honor to be recognized by peers, and motivating too, as affirmation usually is. I think recognizing a member of a European school really helped other member schools from around the school see their part in the council. Now I am so proud of the council when I see the long list of members from all around the world, and so many different nationalities represented on the board.

2009 ANNE HERBERT Helsinki School of Economics
Customer Testimonails

I wanted to give back to the council as much as I could. I think that is the beauty of the council—when people from 300-plus programs come together and contribute their ideas to help each other learn and grows.

2013 BRAD VIERIG University of Utah