30 at 30: Robby Beau

Executive MBA – Strategic Leadership Class of 1995

Vice President – U.S. International, Freight and Specialty Services: FedEx Express (Retired)

In 1979 on a bulletin board of LSU’s student aid office, Robby Beau saw a business card advertising job opportunities at FedEx. When he accepted a part-time role washing trucks and loading deliveries, he had no idea that he was beginning a career journey that would lead to executive leadership at the company.

Upon graduation, Beau was promoted to operations manager, based back in his hometown of New Orleans. His work ethic and team-oriented leadership positioned him for continued growth, which culminated in a move to Memphis, Tennessee, where he joined FedEx’s international group as an engineer.

Career Growth: From Vision to Vice President

In the early ’90s, as a senior manager of the engineering group, Beau recognized that it was time to pursue further education. With support from company leadership, he identified UT’s Executive MBA (EMBA), which would later become the Executive MBA – Strategic Leadership, as his program of choice.

“I’ve been fortunate to be able to see what I needed to do from a next steps perspective,” Beau said. “And I noticed that most people pursuing VP jobs had MBAs, especially in the staff groups.”

A member of the second EMBA class, Beau enjoyed learning alongside other executive leaders. Working with executives from across multiple industries broadened his horizons as he experienced their different leadership styles.

“There were numerous opportunities to interface with people,” Beau said. “The personalities, cultures and positions all came to light during those different situations.”

Leading Under Pressure

In addition to growing his network, the EMBA program taught Beau to navigate leadership in times of stress. The curriculum focused on simulations that challenged students to lean into their leadership strengths, all while balancing executive responsibilities and tight deadlines.

“Leaders need to know who they are and their strengths and weaknesses, because when you get stressed, your weaknesses show,” Beau said. “We practiced managing that through the program.”

Beau put that capability into practice in his work at FedEx, building communication structures that helped his team work effectively, especially in high-pressure situations. The ability to lead through crisis became especially important during the COVID-19 outbreak, when Beau oversaw a monitoring and intervention team that tracked vaccine deliveries in real time. Through consistent communication, Beau oversaw a team of 450 employees managing shipments around the globe.

“I was really focused on communication,” Beau said. “During COVID, we had a weekly conference call with all my employees – it was open to everybody – because it was such a dynamic time.”

Under Beau’s supervision, the team successfully tracked the temperature, humidity, light and location of shipments, ensuring they reached their destinations safely.

Gaining Profitable Perspectives

While he had considerable on-the-job experience at FedEx, as Beau advanced into leadership roles, his strategic and budgetary responsibilities expanded – areas with which he was not familiar. The EMBA program equipped Beau with the financial acumen he needed to have budgetary conversations at an executive level.

“A lot of what you do as you move through the ranks is financial,” Beau said. “As an EMBA student, I learned a lot about cost, profitability, drop-off and revenue, and it all came back to the internal things I worked on at FedEx.”

Armed with cross-functional business knowledge, Beau more readily assessed problems from a big-picture perspective and challenged the status quo. Throughout his career, he encouraged his teams to think critically about processes and lean into new ideas.

“You have to constantly continue improving your skills,” Beau said. We get stuck in these ruts. If someone tells me ‘That’s the way we’ve always done it,’ that makes me want to change it immediately.”

On a Mission of Mentorship

As Beau progressed in his career, he actively sought opportunities to build others up. Having seen the power of mentorship firsthand, he worked to create opportunities for high-potential team members at FedEx.

One such initiative Beau spearheaded was a leadership training program designed to facilitate the advancement of employees at FedEx. He encouraged his mentees to think two steps ahead, building skills that supported a long-term goal.

“In your career, you need to look at where you are, and project where you’ll be if you don’t make any changes,” Beau said. “If you’re looking for more, then you need to look beyond where you are and be willing to make change.”

Throughout his career, Beau readily supported up-and-coming leaders, paying forward the encouragement he received from his own mentors.

“Anytime anybody asked me for time, I always gave it to them,” Beau said. “Because whenever I asked for time from executives, they always gave it to me.”

EMBA Words of Wisdom

Beau shared two pieces of advice for prospective students. Be purposeful in your pursuit of leadership, and once you’ve committed, give it your all. He explained that the most impactful leaders are acutely aware of their influence and impact, which motivates their work.

“You need to be sure you really want to be promoted,” Beau said. “They don’t just give you a check – there’s a lot of work that’s going to come with that.”

And for those ready to take on the challenge, Beau advises jumping in with both feet.

“The more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it,” Beau said. “I was very fortunate to have the opportunities I had, and a great deal of it was because of my educational background.”