Executive MBA Blog
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Toks and Dayo Olabisi with Their Daughter Danielle
As a young couple just starting a family, Toks and Dayo had their hands full. In a few whirlwind years, the two met, married, and welcomed a daughter into their lives — all while juggling full-time jobs and the Wharton Executive MBA program.
But the two say that being in the program together helped them survive this hectic period. "It helped that we were married," says Dayo, the director of IT for Checkfree Investment Services. "We were a young couple trying to build a relationship. At the same time, Toks has a career, and I have my career. We both had a lot going on. The fact that we were together helped tremendously."
Their story began in fall 2005 when the two first met at an executive MBA admissions reception at the Penn Club in Manhattan. By the time they applied to the program, they were already dating, and during their first year, they were married — in a September 2006 civil ceremony in the United States, followed by a more elaborate one in Nigeria that December. The couple, who reside in northern New Jersey, welcomed their daughter in December 2007 — three days after finals.
How did they balance school, work, and a new baby? Both Toks and Dayo credit the massive support they received from friends and family, as well as from the Wharton community as a whole. The two talk about late-night study sessions, realizing their career goals, and the little surprise along the way.
Study Buddies
The Wharton Executive MBA is a highly cooperative environment, thanks in part to how invested students already are in their careers. But still, you can’t help but wonder if going through the WEMBA program together would foster a little competition between a husband and wife — both successful in their own rights. Not so, says Toks. "It was funny, a lot of people thought we would be competitive, but it was actually the opposite," she explains. "I think that’s more because of Dayo’s personality. He helped me in classes like statistics and economics, and in macroeconomics, I wound up getting an A and he got a B plus. He was the one who helped me study for the exam — he was an economics minor in undergrad. So when I got my grade I was a little worried, but he was very happy for me."
Already a CPA, Toks had wanted to pursue her MBA since undergrad, but it wasn’t until she was more seasoned in the firm that Deloitte would sponsor her. Dayo, who had been in IT for 10 years, was looking to start his own company, one that worked in emerging markets. In addition, to jump from mid-level management to senior management at CheckFree, he knew he would need a boost in his credentials — a boost that Wharton would afford him. And both knew they would benefit in whatever they did from the backing of the Wharton network and brand.
Working late hours during the week, Toks enjoyed the time she got to spend with Dayo through the program — driving to and from New Jersey together or meeting up on Friday nights after team meetings. "In the first year when we were taking a lot of classes together, we would talk about cases and bounce ideas off each other," she says.
The two also kept each other company through late night studying, and supported each other through the intensity of managing school and work. "The academics can be a strain on your relationship. But in our case, it wasn’t a strain. It was another aspect of our life," Dayo says.
Dayo adds that he thinks school actually helped their relationship. "It wasn’t a distraction. Rather, it helped that we were aspiring towards the same goal."
You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby
Having a baby mid-way through the second year wasn’t part of the plan, but looking back, Toks and Dayo say the timing worked out well. The two were actually able to travel to China for school. "It was a blast. We climbed the Great Wall," Dayo says. "She couldn’t do the most difficult part, but she did 90 percent of it."
Toks received an outpouring of support through her pregnancy from her husband, family, and fellow classmates — from Dayo waiting after class to carry her bags during her last trimester to their classmates throwing a shower for them.
"I couldn’t have done it without the support. That’s the truth of the matter," Toks says. "The only reason I could do it was because I had Dayo’s support, my family’s support, the support of the people at work, WEMBA office support, and the classmates, everyone was very helpful."
Their daughter’s birth was timed perfectly — even though she was a week early. The two had just finished finals and were on break, and Toks' maternity leave fell during the busy season at work. When she emailed her professors to let them know she wouldn’t be at the first session of the spring semester, Toks says she received congratulations, and her fellow students pitched in by taping the classes. The two also found support from Toks’ mother, who would stay overnight in Philadelphia with them and watch the baby.
"Everyone was just super supportive," Toks says. "People worked around my schedule for team meetings, even after I gave birth. If I couldn’t go there in person I would do it by phone or Skype. No one complained." She adds that since many of her classmates had their own families, they were better able to understand what they were going through.
Beyond Wharton
Now that life is slowly returning to normal post-Wharton, Dayo is turning his attention to his new venture, TIXZY Capital, which will invest in emerging markets, including their home country of Nigeria. (The company’s name is Toks’ old nickname.) Dayo will continue to work at CheckFree while he launches his company, a deal he says happened because of his Wharton MBA. Toks’ career goals, meanwhile, remain unchanged: to become a partner at Deloitte in the alternative investment group and hopefully grow into a regional and then a national head.
Both look back on their time at Wharton with fondness — Dayo enjoyed learning from his classmates and forging lifelong bonds with his learning team and some of the professors. Toks relished the two days immersed in study away from work alongside her husband. "It was very challenging," she says. "But with perseverance and hard work, it definitely can be done."
