At Menlo Coaching, we’ve had strong results working with Indian applicants from elite
backgrounds—particularly those at large family businesses, private equity and venture capital firms, or
other high-end employers.
But we want to be upfront:
We’re not the best fit for every Indian applicant.
Our pricing is significantly higher than local firms—and may be out of reach based on typical Indian
salaries.
We focus on a small subset of Indian applicants and do not have broad admissions data across the entire
applicant pool.
If you’re currently working for a top-tier family business, PE/VC fund, or similar organization…
…and you think you may be a fit for our services, feel free to reach out directly at [email protected].
Looking for a Great Local Option?
We often recommend MBA Crystal Ball, one of the most established and trusted MBA admissions consulting
firms in India.
They’ve helped a wide range of applicants succeed at the M7, T10, and T25 programs—even those with
challenges like low test scores, GPA issues, or career gaps.
“MCB made me fall in love with the application process.”
— Apoorva: 10 applications, 9 interviews, 6 admits, $250K in scholarships
As a bestselling author, award-winning speaker, consultant, and negotiations expert who advises on critical decisions, negotiations, mergers, and acquisitions for Fortune 100 companies globally, Dr. Medvec’s expertise goes far beyond the classroom; when she teaches negotiations to MBA students, she’s speaking from experience.
Victoria Medvec co-founded the Center for Executive Women at Kellogg and holds a PhD from Cornell.
Let’s dig into Dr. Medvec’s teaching philosophy, research, and professional experience to understand why her classes are consistently one of the main draws of the program.
How Dr. Medvec Teaches Negotiations at Kellogg
Dr. Medvec currently teaches several courses at Kellogg:
The Negotiations Fundamentals course (also taught by Dr. Nour Kteily), part of the full-time MBA
For the Executive MBA, the Negotiation Strategies course
Several Executive Education offerings, including the Women’s Director Development Program and Women’s Senior Leadership Program
Her teaching style, in Negotiations Fundamentals and elsewhere, strongly emphasizes practical skills and strategies with immediate impact. Students engage in a series of mock negotiations and peer mentorship scenarios, with a focus on how interpersonal skills come into play in the real world.
“I wanted to write to you and thank you for the wisdom you’ve poured into teaching our cohort. Your teachings allowed me to negotiate an amazing external title (VP), anchored them at the highest salary they’ve ever paid for someone at my experience, and even got them to up my bonus by $25k.”
A recent Kellogg graduate, in a note to Dr. Medvec
Beyond simple two-party negotiations, the course addresses team negotiations, agents and ethics, dispute resolution, and management of the negotiation process. Drawing on prescriptive and descriptive negotiation theory, Dr. Medvec nevertheless grounds every class meeting in engaging and accurate simulations of real negotiations.
“I’m currently in Negotiations with Professor Medvec. It’s worth the bid points! I’ve learned so much about negotiating for myself (which will definitely come in handy soon).”
Dr. Medvec is the author of national bestseller Negotiate Without Fear, published in 2021. The book teaches readers to maximize their outcomes in negotiations at all levels of business and daily life, by analyzing the issues at hand, defining objectives, and establishing ambitious goals. Its practical advice has resonated with countless readers.
As part of the faculty at Kellogg’s Management and Organizations (MORS) department, Dr. Medvec has also published prolifically in academic journals and books. Her research focuses mainly on judgment and decision-making, with a particular emphasis on how people feel about the decisions they have made, and on interdependent decisions within negotiations.
Dr. Medvec’s research interests also include executive decision-making, influence, and corporate governance. She has been published in top academic journals including Psychological Review, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.
Dr. Medvec’s teaching and research are founded on extensive experience of the negotiation tactics that work in real-world, high-stakes situations. She is the CEO of Medvec & Associates, a consulting firm providing advice to multinational corporations including, but not limited to,
Microsoft
McKinsey
BlackRock
IBM
McDonald’s
JPMorgan Chase
Ernst & Young
Pfizer
Goldman Sachs
General Electric
Shell
Dr. Medvec is frequently brought in to advise C-suite executives on critical decisions: mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, and major contracts. She also provides executive training on topics including decision-making, influence, corporate governance, and of course negotiations. She has personally served on the boards of several companies, public and private.
On the academic side, Dr. Medvec got her bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University in 1986 and earned a PhD in Psychology from Cornell University in 1995, before holding a series of positions at the prestigious Kellogg school, where she is now a tenured professor.
At Kellogg, she is the Adeline Barry Davee Professor of Management and Operations (2004–present), as well as the Executive Director and Co-founder of the Center for Executive Women (2001–present), which aims to help senior female executives advance to top executive and board positions.
Beyond this, Dr. Medvec frequently gives talks on a number of topics: women in leadership, board decision-making, and corporate governance, among others. Check out one such public appearance below.
Dr. Medvec in Conversation: “How to Negotiate Any Deal”
David studied at UC Berkeley and worked as a tech industry professional, including stints at Yahoo! and Efficient Frontier, before co-founding Menlo Coaching. He has been listed among Poets & Quants’ Best Admissions Consultants and featured for his expertise—and tell-it-like-it-is attitude—in publications like The Wall Street Journal and MBA.com.
