HR Strategy Learnings: Aboud’s Executive Master’s Program Journey

After a 15-month experience “that challenges you in all the right ways,” Christina Aboud celebrated with classmates at the ILR School’s Executive Master of Human Resource Management degree program commencement recognition ceremony in July. 

“The EMHRM program made me more well-rounded in HR’s different disciplines and enhanced my business acumen and in-depth understanding of HR strategy. It enhanced my strategic thinking,” said Aboud, a human resource information systems manager at Rambus. The technology company designs, develops and licenses chip interface technologies and architectures used in digital electronics products.

“The support and expertise of the program facilitators and professors – I greatly appreciated the ability to talk to them throughout the program and really appreciated how much they cared and considered themselves stakeholders in my future. That had a big impact on me, and I’ll always be grateful for that.

EMHRM immersed her in a circle of peer professionals. “It’s provided me with a cohort in which we essentially act as a supportive think tank for each other.”

It also opened doors for opportunities, which enabled her to choose the best career fit at the time. Aboud found her “new great team” at Rambus in April, four months before graduating from the EMHRM program.

Aboud commuted to Ithaca from her San Francisco Bay area home for the program's three on-campus sessions. “It was not a big deal. Ithaca is beautiful. I want to return to Ithaca just for fun in the future.”

“The program helps get you in the room, and once you’re in the room, you can provide the substance of your learning. My coursework prepared me to speak to a variety of interviewers in their language.”  

“The program and school are highly marketable to employers. I came to that conclusion through the interview process and was fortunate enough to receive multiple opportunities.”

Aboud’s project and program management acumen grew through EMHRM, developing her into a more strategic business partner. “Equipped with my EMHRM learnings, I am able to get into the business objective weeds.” 

Through the program’s independent capstone case project, she aligned HR and business goals to produce a strategy and implementation plan at the company where she worked when she started the EMHRM program. 

A coaching team of a professor and an executive, plus her cohort, helped her develop an ecosystem rooted in driving superior customer service through increased employee performance improved by training, incentives, recognition and success metrics to resolve a disconnect between business goals and work patterns.

“The development of a clear organizational idea of customer service and making it clear, developing a way to assess employee performance and developing a training program that met employees where they were and brought them up to the standard for customer service,” Aboud said. The potential impact of the project is increased customer loyalty and attraction resulting in increased market share, she said.

Aboud got her first job at age 13 as a summertime middle school receptionist. At 21, she had a job doing payroll and decided to stay in the HR field, to which she now brings enhanced skills to boost her career and others’ futures. “Being able to learn so much along the way and see how it developed me as an individual and was good for my organization, as well – my own path led me to want to create opportunities for others, to be part of finding that sweet spot for them.”