The Professors That Executives Remember

What makes a "great" business professor?

Within the Bauer College Executive MBA program, it's a simple formula:

Generous with their time and talent
Respectful of students
Excellent educators
Attentive to the needs of the class
Terrific sense of humor

Each year, the graduating EMBA class votes for the faculty member they feel best embodies these qualities, with the highest vote-getter earning the college's EMBA Teaching Award.

For the last decade, that honor has gone to James "Randy" Webb, a senior professor of practice who also serves as executive director of the college's Stephen Stagner Sales Excellence Institute.

“I've had the opportunity to win other teaching awards from the college, but this one is especially meaningful because it's voted on by students,” Webb said.

Although the award is given to just one faculty member each year, there are usually several professors who are at the top of the list for students.

“Our program includes some of the best people for the job with the right mixture of academia and industry,” EMBA Program Director Cindy Tamez said. “They are passionate about providing our students with the knowledge they need to further their careers and advance into new spaces.”

Here, we highlight Webb and other Executive MBA faculty who students ranked highly this year.

Randy Webb

Senior Professor of Practice | Stephen Stagner Sales Excellence Institute Executive Director

27 years at Bauer

“Professor Webb embodies every single attribute used in the G. R. E. A. T. acronym. I observed him coach classmates as they navigated situations in the work. His classes were very engaging and the stories he shared from his career were very memorable.”

Webb says that the best way for students to learn is by leading. Answers can often be found through a healthy amount of classroom discussion, he said, noting that many students are executives who can share their own experiences.

Anyone who has taken one of Webb’s classes would know that he is a storyteller at heart. Rather than enforcing memorization of the material, he said he tries to relate every lesson to a story. That way his students have an easier time retaining the information.

“What I try to do is create an environment where it’s really about the conversation being had,” Webb said. “I’m very open to whatever my students want to talk about. I bring a lot of my own personal experience into my lessons, and I think that creates a space where they feel free to talk about anything.”

Webb sees his role not only as sharing knowledge, but also as helping students ask better questions. Developing the ability to think critically and make sound decisions independently, he said, becomes increasingly important as leaders advance in their careers.

He considers it a privilege to teach in the Bauer EMBA program. Students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and bring a rich depth of experience with them, he said. Their collective experience is what makes classroom discussions so dynamic, he added.

Stephen Wilbur

Professor of Practice | MS Entrepreneurship Program Director

8 years at Bauer

“I thoroughly enjoyed Professor Steve Wilbur’s entrepreneurship class in the University of Houston’s EMBA program. His high energy made every class engaging and helped us to stay focused throughout each lesson.”

Wilbur is not a professor who does things by the book. His teaching relies on real world examples from his more than 15 years of industry experience. Throughout his career, he has worked with organizations across the country from marketing agencies to blueberry farms.

When it comes to teaching in the EMBA program, he said it is important to remember that these students are coming in with an extensive background in business already. That experience shapes how he teaches, focusing on concepts students can immediately apply in their organizations.

“I teach a course called Entrepreneurial Finance, which is really an overview of: how do you take an idea from concept to implementation?” Wilbur said. “The connection I try to make for them is that the principles you would use to start your own business are the same you would apply at an organization to find a new revenue stream or grow a product line.”

He likes his classes to be interactive, he said, noting that discussion-driven classes allow students to bring their own experiences into the conversation, creating richer dialogue and broader perspectives.

“I like that the students have a thirst for knowledge,” Wilbur said. “They don’t come in thinking they already know everything. Everyone is looking to improve their skills or expand their minds.”

At the beginning of every semester, his students fill out a survey that allows them to share topics of interest that they haven’t learned about yet. He intentionally incorporates that feedback into his curriculum to ensure lessons remain relevant to students’ interests and goals.

Wilbur's goal is for the lessons in his class to have impact, so that five or 10 years after graduation, his students are still applying those principles to advance professionally.

Alejandro Sanoja (MBA ‘17)

Professor of Finance | Cougar Investment Fund Advisory Committee Member

8 years at Bauer

"Alejandro had a high business acumen and was able to communicate with the class in a practical way that was easy to understand. He shared interesting stories, challenged us with discussions and presentations and genuinely cared about our growth and development.”

Every semester brings something new to Sanoja’s class. As a Bauer alumnus himself, he knows that students benefit the most when faculty continually update the curriculum and teaching methods to keep everyone engaged and challenged.

Sanoja joined the college faculty in 2017 as a guest lecturer for the Cougar Investment Fund. He remains involved with the Cougar Investment Fund and joined its Advisory Committee in 2022. He began teaching as an adjunct professor in the EMBA program in the Spring 2025 semester.

Growing up, Sanoja said he never considered himself to be a good student and sometimes viewed teachers as gatekeepers rather than partners in learning. However, now that he’s on the other side of the classroom, he’s since taken on a new perspective.

“When I’m creating the tests, I want my students to see their own progress in what they’re learning. I want to know they’re absorbing the content,” Sanoja said. “It’s an absolute pleasure to see them get the questions right. It means they’re understanding the material, and the way I’m teaching is really getting through to them. I’ve realized since becoming a professor that all we want is what’s best for our students.”

Throughout his time at Bauer, he said he feels fortunate to have Webb and Finance Professor Tom George as mentors. Watching Webb teach showed him the importance of building genuine connections with the students. Today, he strives to understand what motivates his students and uses storytelling, discussion and interactive exercises to keep learning engaging.

“Children learn faster because they’re not afraid of making mistakes,” Sanoja said. “They know if it's a game and they lose, they’ll have a chance to try again. I apply that concept to teach Executive MBA students, making the experience enjoyable for all of us.”