Blog

What a KitKat Heist Can Teach Brands About Getting It Right

Nearly half a million KitKat bars. One stolen truck. Zero injuries. And somehow, a public relations win. The Darden Report caught up with lecturer and communications expert Steve Soltis, to unpack why it worked and where other brands should be careful not to follow too closely. Soltis previously led executive communications at The Coca-Cola Company and is co-founder of Arvo Advisory and the Darden Leadership Communication Council (DLCC) at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. Read More

The Most Important Leadership Skill IHG CEO Elie Maalouf Learned at Darden Might Surprise You

“Everything important in life, at some point, happens in a hotel.” For Elie Maalouf (MBA ’89), that’s not just a reflection on the hospitality industry, it’s how he sees the world. Read More

Q&A: It’s the 20th ‘Hannaversary’ of ‘Hannah Montana.’ Why is Disney making a big deal?

Disney is trying to find a way to have the best of both worlds. It’s tapping into Hannah Montana nostalgia with a new anniversary push, aiming to bring fans back under the spotlight and onto Disney+. University of Virginia media expert and Darden School of Business assistant professor of business Anthony Palomba says as the company looks to strike the right chord with Gen Z and millennial viewers, the strategy goes beyond a throwback moment. Read More

Trading the MetroCard for the Mountains: Arnell Stewart’s MBA Journey

Arnell Stewart liked being a product manager. She just didn’t love what she was building. At Goldman Sachs, Stewart (Class of 2026) worked on the Apple Card, thriving in a role that was as dynamic as it was demanding. Read More

From Cold Calls to the C-Sweet: Tony Jacobs’ Path to CEO of Bazooka Candy Brands

On summer weekends in Oxford, Maryland, a familiar ritual unfolds for Tony Jacobs (MBA ’96): a dock full of friends, a University of Virginia flag waving in the breeze and a group chat that, somehow, has stayed active for more than 30 years. Read More

Betting on Herself: D’Auria Henry Brown’s Path Through Darden’s Part-Time MBA

D’Auria Henry Brown (PTMBA Class of 2027) jokes that she should probably know exactly what she wants to be when she grows up. But that kind of certainty isn’t what brought her to the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. Growth did. Read More