[codeonfire]

MBA programs are sometimes sort of a tool used to justify putting people in places they wee already selected for for reasons other than experience. Say you are a board member that wants your nephew hired on as a VP despite having never had a real job. The nephew would go to business school to fend off the obvious protest from the veterans of the org who (foolishly) put in years of work.

People that are bought out are sometimes given an executive title, but often are forced out as the whole idea of buying a company is that the new management wants control.

Other people hire executive coaches, lie profusely about their experience, suck up, and do whatever it takes to get into one of these jobs. Lots of execs are like this. I dare say most. It makes no difference to them what company they are at or even what the company's business is. You can be illiterate and follow this path. lots of people who do this can just barely send an email.