Executive MBA graduate Jack Schannep leverages his degree to help others with financial instability

Jack Schannep (Executive MBA '25) was inspired to pursue a career as a financial advisor after his time in the Army. The Executive MBA program at W. P. Carey helped him transition from the military and provided him the opportunity to build his network and toolkit as a leader while still working full-time.

During his time in the Army, Jack Schannep (Executive MBA '25) discovered how many of his fellow soldiers struggled with financial instability and the mental and emotional toll it could take. This inspired him to pursue a career as a financial advisor after leaving the military.

But Schannep also desired to learn more about the business world and what it meant to be a leader within it, after spending many years in the Army. "The transition from active duty military service to academia is difficult, and it's hard for a lot of people to navigate so many rapid changes," he says.

The Executive MBA program at ASU's W. P. Carey School of Business provided Schannep the opportunity to build his network and toolkit as a leader while still working full-time, helping him make that transition from the military. He received the prestigious Tillman Scholar award, a higher education scholarship that is given to military service members, veterans, and military spouses who show a high potential for positive impact.

"I was very familiar with the W. P. Carey School of Business," says Schannep. "My sister graduated from the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, and my brother-in-law is a graduate of W. P. Carey. Their experiences, and the way they talked about the programs here in ASU as a whole, were very impactful to me."

He adds, "When I was able to research the different options available, the Executive MBA was a phenomenal fit for my schedule, so the program gave me the ability to pursue an MBA in person while allowing me to still work full-time."

Schannep also learned leadership strategies and decision-making skills he brought back to his position as a financial advisor at the Tucson, Arizona-based company, Retirement Wealth Partners.

The importance of personal finance

One reason why Schannep is so passionate about personal finance is that he saw firsthand how devastating financial instability can be during his time in the Army, as it affected members of his battalion.

"It may seem like something minor, but even creating a budget can seem like a private event. Personal finance is very personal," he says. "When someone is saying, 'I'm spending $X on energy drinks every single day,' it can lead to the next issue of, 'Why is this prioritized in your budget?' If you can't sleep, well, let's talk about that underlying issue."

The Executive MBA program allowed him to gain more knowledge and skills that he can use when helping his fellow veterans and others with this important issue. "[W. P. Carey has] so many resources for students to leverage and absorb that they then can take out to individuals who haven't been to W. P. Carey, or who might not have an opportunity for higher education," says Schannep.

"Being able to collect all of those tools, influences, and experiences, and then bringing them to communities and people who don’t have the same opportunity is very exciting."

Executive MBA students continue working while pursuing their degree, allowing them to immediately take learnings from the classroom and apply them to their current roles.

"We had a great marketing class, and the way they pitched the class was, 'every interaction is a marketing pitch,'" he says. "'How do you present yourself? How are they presenting themselves to you?' So not only in my individual business relationships, but also, what does our website look like? How are we developing our brand, and what is the awareness of our brand?"

Connecting with other leaders

Another aspect of the Executive MBA that drew Schannep in was the selective nature of the application process. The program is designed for seasoned leaders with over a decade of professional experience, which creates small but dynamic cohorts with strong knowledge and backgrounds in a variety of fields.

The many experiences Schannep shared with members of his cohort, both in and out of the classroom, helped them form strong bonds. Rather than seeing each other periodically at school, they broke bread together, met each other’s families, and got involved.

"The relationships extend outside the classroom,” he says. “That was very meaningful to me personally."

Schannep graduated from West Point and served as a captain in the Army. One thing he appreciated about his time in the Executive MBA program was learning about how leadership in the business world differs from being a leader in the military.

"In the Army, there's a little more aggression, there's a little more direct conversations," he says. "But in the EMBA, having my cohort to then observe different leadership styles and observe failures that I've personally had, or that they've had, we could talk about it and revisit it. I think it was very helpful in building how I approach leadership based on the industry that I'm in."

Finding community at ASU

Even while living in Tucson and commuting to Tempe for classes once a month, Schannep felt deeply connected to the W. P. Carey community throughout his Executive MBA experience. He also found strong support, community, and resources throughout W. P. Carey and ASU.

"At the Pat Tillman Veterans Center, they're able to resonate with the things you're going through," he says. "They have resources, people you can talk to. I found that that was a really great resource for me, which I'd recommend to all veterans."

Schannep advises future students to take advantage of every opportunity and event available to them so they can maximize their time in school.

"Try to go the extra mile,” he says. “Put your best foot forward for every class discussion, for every project that you do, [and remember] it is a marathon. Make sure that you're studying and maintaining good time management and habits."

He adds, "And be excited. This program is incredibly impactful, helpful, and useful. It's a great honor to learn at W. P. Carey."