For Travis Rager (’24 EMBA), being a Coug is a family tradition. His connection to WSU dates back four generations, beginning with his great-great-uncle, Orin Hector Stratton, one of WSU’s first civil engineering graduates in 1897.
But when it came time to choose an executive MBA program, WSU wasn’t his only option. Rager explored top business schools across the country before selecting WSU’s online Executive MBA. The decision was driven by an admissions process that felt personalized and a program that offered meaningful networking opportunities with experienced professionals. Rager says he knew it was a great fit because it would help strengthen his business acumen and cross-industry knowledge while he worked full-time at Philips, a health technology company.
As a US Army veteran with 11 years of service and more than 19 years at Philips in multiple leadership roles, Rager sought a program that would build on his experience and sharpen his strategic thinking.
“The curriculum, executive focus, and networking opportunities provided invaluable insights, helping me bridge strategy with execution in a globally connected society and business environment,” he says.
Transforming global business at Philips
As the global head of business excellence for Philips Emergency Care, Rager leads business transformation and project management teams, ensuring streamlined and effective global operations. The business transformation team evaluates and improves processes to enhance efficiency in daily business operations. Rager also oversees four project management teams—located in the US, England, China, and India—that execute product development and strategic initiative programs and projects. His role demands agility, adaptability, and navigating complex market, regulatory, and organizational changes.
“The Carson College EMBA program provided me with best-practice frameworks and strategic skills to manage these challenges effectively,” he says. “It has enabled me to optimize business operations and confidently lead global teams.”
In his leadership role, Rager prioritizes cultural competency and strong, adaptable leadership. Understanding his team’s diverse backgrounds is just as critical as making confident business decisions.
The EMBA program played a key role in enhancing these skills. In a lesson Rager found particularly impactful, he created a personal leadership development plan, which challenged him to assess his leadership strengths, identify areas for growth, and create a roadmap for advancing his career and long-term aspirations.
Rager completed a similar activity in one of his international business courses, this time analyzing how he navigates diverse cultural environments. This exercise strengthened his understanding of global business interactions and emphasized the importance of cultural awareness and adaptability in leading diverse teams.
“These assignments enhanced my leadership, global mindset, and strategic execution capabilities, serving as essential milestones in my professional development,” he says.
Balancing leadership, learning, and growth
For Rager, the greatest challenge of the program was balancing coursework with his demanding leadership position at Philips. Managing global business operations while networking and engaging in high-level academic discussion required exceptional time management, but the investment paid off.
The most valuable aspect of the EMBA program was its emphasis on practical application and strategic leadership, he says.
“I was able to immediately apply what I learned to my role as global head of business excellence at Philips, improving how I lead and manage business operations and transformations,” Rager says. “The strategic nature of the program pushed me to think beyond execution and develop a holistic leadership mindset that balances short-term business needs with long-term strategic vision.”