When Professor Terry Shannon reflects on his career, he’s the first to tell you it didn’t follow a straight line. Over the course of 36 years in the food distribution industry, Shannon worked his way up from a sales role to corporate vice president in food service distribution—the side of the business that serves restaurants, hospitals, and just about “any place you’ve ever had a sandwich away from home.” From there, he pivoted to the nonprofit sector, serving as CEO of one of the largest food banks in the country, based in Phoenix, Ariz., where his team distributed 250,000 meals a day to individuals and communities across the state.
Then came another leap. Shannon and his family moved back to the East Coast and connected with William & Mary, where he’s now spent 13 years as a faculty member and mentor. Today, he teaches in the Online MBA program and co-authored the Renaissance Leader course, which serves as the very first course students encounter when they enter the program. He’s also deeply involved with Executive Partners, a volunteer network of former senior executives who coach and mentor students.
Shannon’s winding path isn’t unusual—and that’s exactly the point he makes to students.
Careers Aren’t Ladders. They’re Rock Climbing Walls.
It’s tempting to think of a career as a ladder—a neat, vertical progression from one rung to the next. But Shannon sees it differently.
“Reality is, careers are like rock climbing walls,” he said. “You’re reaching, you’re stretching, sometimes you’re reaching around that blind corner, hoping there’s something different to hold onto.”
It’s a metaphor that resonates with the students Shannon works with in William & Mary’s Online MBA program—many of whom are pursuing a graduate degree precisely because they’re at one of those inflection points. They may be looking to grow where they are, pivot into a new industry, or simply figure out what comes next.
“I would venture to say that the majority of the students that are coming back for an MBA are reaching around that blind corner, hoping there’s something different to hold onto,” Shannon said.
And like any challenging climb, sometimes the path forward isn’t always up. “Sometimes you have to go down to go up, right? To find a new path,” he explained. “Sometimes you need that mentor to throw you a rope and pull you to the next level. And sometimes you fall off the wall and you have to figure out, okay, what’s my next step?”
That realism is part of what makes Shannon’s teaching so grounded. He’s not offering students a formula for success—he’s giving them frameworks, self-awareness and practical tools like personal development plans that they can take straight to their supervisors or use to navigate their next career move.
A Resource Like No Other: The Executive Partners Program
One of the most distinctive career resources available to William & Mary’s Online MBA students is the Executive Partners program—and it’s one that Shannon has been involved with since his earliest days at the university.
Currently, the program brings together approximately 120 former senior-level executives from virtually every industry and functional area to serve as mentors for graduate students at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business. These aren’t paid consultants or adjunct instructors—they’re volunteers who are passionate about helping the next generation of business leaders find their footing.
“They bring to the table an incredible amount of experience and background,” Shannon said. “But what we ask them to do when talking with a student is to use that background and experience to ask questions versus set direction.”
Rather than prescribing a path, Executive Partners help students think critically about their options. If a student is weighing a career change, an Executive Partner might ask about the risks involved or what the competitive landscape looks like—drawing on decades of experience to guide the conversation without dictating the answer. The same “asking questions, challenging assumptions or playing devil's advocate” approach applies when advising a student team on a class assignment or serving as a panelist for student presentations.
And because the network is so broad, there’s a good chance that whatever industry or company a student is exploring, an Executive Partner has been there. “What better way to find out about the true culture of a company than to talk to somebody who has been there and done that?” Shannon said.
The program also supports students through tactical career preparation, including mock interviews. “If you give me your resume and a job description of something you’re applying for, I can run you through a pretty good 45-minute mock interview just to help you get more comfortable,” Shannon explained.
But for Shannon, the most rewarding moments come after all the preparation pays off. “After a while, you get a phone call and it’s them calling to let you know that they got the job offer,” he says. “And that’s where you just light up and say, ‘Wow, I made a difference.’”
As one former dean of the business school put it, the Executive Partners program is “often imitated but never duplicated.” Other universities have tried to build similar networks, but the unique makeup of the greater Williamsburg area—with its draw for accomplished retirees—gives William & Mary a built-in advantage. And with plans to expand the program virtually, Online MBA students will have even greater access to this powerful network of mentors moving forward.
The William & Mary Difference
Shannon encourages prospective students to look beyond the curriculum when evaluating MBA programs. “The blocking and tackling stuff is very important and probably pretty consistent across the board,” he acknowledged. But what sets William & Mary apart is the people—full-time faculty who teach every course and make themselves available well beyond the virtual classroom, and a volunteer network of experienced professionals who are genuinely invested in student success.
“Any one of us will make a connection with the student, spend time, talk to them and provide whatever guidance we can,” Shannon said.
Whether you’re scaling the wall, reaching around a blind corner, or figuring out your next handhold, William & Mary’s Online MBA program is designed to make sure you’re never climbing on your own. You can also choose from nine specializations—focused across four dynamic disciplines of finance, marketing, accounting and business analytics—to help you chart a customized pathway to career success.
Schedule a call today with one of our helpful admissions outreach advisors to get started.