Buenos Aires-Based Alumnus Learned Value of ‘Good Management’ at Darden

Pablo Garcia Barnetche (MBA ’95) recalled the challenge of teaching cases to his learning team in English, a second language for the Buenos Aires, Argentina-based director at the ag-tech company Agrositio. Soon, however, he was both “thinking and dreaming” in English, one of the many unexpected ways his experience at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business in the 1990s pushed and shaped him.

Darden also opened up my eyes to the idea that good — or great — management is not restricted to the work or business environment. Those same strategies that were being discussed in class in the context of a case were being put to practice in the organization of a charity event, such as Christmas in April, a friendly get-together, such as [classmate] Conan Owen’s annual lobster party, or even a blood drive. If you wanted something done right, you had to use good management.

Time management, effective communication, team-building, knowing when to delegate; these are some of the skills I acquired at Darden which I still use daily both at work and at home.

The experience in and out of the classroom also informed a sense of teamwork that continues to this day, as he tries to instill passion and find creative solutions to problems, Barnetche said.

I am a firm believer in teamwork. Knowing how to listen to other people’s opinions and ideas, knowing how to delegate and, most importantly, being ready to learn from the other team members are keys to achieving big goals.

My experience at Darden helped me understand that there is always much to learn from the people we work with. Everyone in the team has something valuable to teach, so we should listen. Always. I try to keep this in mind every day, at work, and at home.

Read the full profile on Darden’s Alumni Spotlight.