UCLA Anderson School of Management Blog

Student Profile: Calvin Portley (’14)

By Golie Alemi

Before enrolling at UCLA Anderson, Calvin Portley (’14) spent more than five years working in pharmaceutical sales. He entered business school with an open mind, though. “When I first came to Anderson, I knew that I would be exposed to a range of experiences that could steer me into a different direction from my previous work experience in the pharmaceutical industry.”

Like many of his classmates, Portley didn’t shy away from pursuing countless opportunities and leadership positions. During his two years at Anderson, he served as the president of the Healthcare Business Association, co-president of the African American Students in Management and outreach director for the Entrepreneur Association. “I’ve gained so much from the people I’ve met at Anderson and the groups I’ve been highly involved with,” he says. “However, establishing strategic partnerships with the health care startup community and other schools and centers within UCLA, including the Medical School, Public Health School and the Business of Science Center, were great highlights from my term as president of HBA,” says Portley.

In addition to these responsibilities, he also wanted to be a catalyst for change on campus, so he dedicated time, along with a small team of students, working with the Consortium to help recruit a more diverse student body.

His most memorable accomplishment of b-school, perhaps, was founding RxCUE, an online platform that delivers pharmaceutical discount vouchers directly to doctors and hospitals, and building it through the Business Creation Option process. Portley and his team saw the opportunity to create a partnership between drug manufacturers and doctors to ensure that all vital prescription information from the manufacturer would be included on the doctor’s drug-prescribing software, resulting in improved efficiency and clarity in the treatment-decision process.

Portley and his teammates also pitched RxCUE during the Fast Pitch Competition at the 29^th annual Entrepreneur Association Conference, which consisted of 12 teams pitching their business ideas in 90 seconds or less to a panel of judges that weighed presentation quality and investment potential. This year, RxCUE took the grand prize. “Taking first place in the Fast Pitch Competition gave our team great confidence that we had a solid product and business model that we could continue moving forward with post-graduation,” Portley says. After this success, RxCUE went on to take 2^nd place and the people’s choice prize at the 33^rd annual Knapp Venture Competition.

In addition to the support and mentorship from professors and classmates, Portley credits classes like health care information technology, strategy and managerial decision making to the success of RxCUE, and to landing a job prior to graduation with Beckman Coulter, a company that manufactures biomedical laboratory instruments. “I’ve had such a great experience learning from classmates with differing backgrounds in industries like finance, engineering and marketing,” he said. “But I’m passionate about taking part in a company that changes people’s lives through advances in health care technology. The opportunity with Beckman Coulter certainly is a great boost for my career and stay tuned -- you haven’t heard the last from RxCUE!” 

UCLA Anderson Honors Staff at Annual Awards Ceremony

Each year, the UCLA Anderson School of Management honors the memory of Abraham Ackerman, who worked for the school for more than 40 years, with the Abraham Ackerman Staff Excellence Award. Recipients are noted for their dedication and service to the school. The 2014 recipient is Amjad Ezzour, a student-affairs officer in the Fully Employed MBA office. Ezzour received the honor in a Korn Hall ceremony that included a keynote talk by UCLA head gymnastics coach Valorie Kondos Field.

In addition to the presentation of the Ackerman Award, the ceremony also included the presentation of three Mary and Pete Petersen Staff Enrichment Awards. The recipients of the Petersen staff enrichment awards are Deborah Shin (FEMBA program), Kate Ceredona (Ziman Center) and Damaris Aguirre (Staff Personnel). Mary Petersen worked at UCLA Anderson for 40 years, starting her career as a switchboard operator. In 2012, she and her husband Pete donated $100,000 to support staff development and enrichment.

Dean Judy Olian opened the afternoon ceremony by thanking everyone for the work they do representing the school. “You are the face for us,” she said. “You are Anderson. You are UCLA — maybe for the entirety of that person’s experience.”

She then introduced Kondos Field, who has been the Bruins’ head coach since 1991. Kondos Field gave a run down of what she called “UCLA Gymnastics 101,” three lessons she imparts to all her student-athletes. “Life is one big fat audacious adventure,” she said, as well as “life is not good or bad—it’s just life” and “every single thing we do in life is a choice.”

She wrapped up her talk by also thanking the staff and reminding them of how she looks at life at UCLA. “I think it’s important that we all remember we’re all family at the most respected educational and athletic intuition in the world,” she said.

See more great photos of the event by awesome staff photographer Aaron Schasse at Flickr.

UCLA Anderson Announces 2014 Loeb Award Winners; Lifetime Achievement Award Goes to James Flanigan, John Brecher Receives Lawrence Minard Editor Award

CNBC's Mandy Drury hosting the 2014 Loeb Awards.

James Flanigan and John Brecher

Journalists from across the nation gathered tonight at Capitale for the 2014 Gerald Loeb Awards banquet. The Gerald Loeb Awards are among the highest honors in journalism, recognizing the work of journalists whose contributions illuminate the world of business, finance and the economy for readers and viewers worldwide.

Judy D. Olian, dean of UCLA Anderson School of Management and chairman of the G. and R. Loeb Foundation, welcomed Loeb Awards honorees and their guests. Mandy Drury, co-anchor of CNBC's “Street Signs,” served as master of ceremonies.

The Gerald Loeb Awards featured two special awards for career contributions: the Lifetime Achievement Award, which was presented to James Flanigan, former business journalist at the Los Angeles Times, and the Lawrence Minard Editor Award, which went to John Brecher, executive editor for enterprise at Bloomberg News. In addition, winners of 14 competition categories were announced at the banquet. The following is a list of the 2014 Loeb Award recipients.

UCLA Anderson Hosts 2014 Forté Women’s MBA Conference

Dean Judy Olian addresses the conference.

The Forté Women’s MBA Conference returned to the UCLA Anderson campus today; Anderson last hosted the annual event in 2012. The conference is put on by the Forté Foundation, a nonprofit consortium of leading companies and top business schools working together to launch women into careers through access to business education, opportunities and a network of their peers. The organization also provides fellowships to women attending business schools, including students at Anderson.

Attendees are predominantly women, hailing from 34 U.S. states and eight foreign countries, who are in or about to commence MBA programs representing the majority of top domestic and international schools.

UCLA Anderson Dean Judy Olian delivered the conference’s opening remarks. The dean described a “paradox of progress,” noting that while there has been significant progress for professional women in recent decades, there is still a long way to go until equality is achieved. “I would have thought that by 2014, 50 years after the Civil Rights Act, we’d be a lot further along,” Olian said.

Olian told the attendees about what she called a “two-pronged strategy” to not just redefine gender roles, but eliminate them altogether. “First, be the best you can be, as fiercely successful professionals,” Olian said. “Second, focus also on the majority group, on men, so that they understand what an inclusive, mutually supportive culture is … and understand best practices to support women and minorities.

“Our society needs everybody, every source of talent, to tackle the important issues of the day, improve the lives of everyone,” Olian said.

Olian continued her thoughts on women in business later in the day as moderator of the “Dialogue with Leadership” panel featuring Barbara Desoer, Citibank CEO who received her MBA at the University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business; Christine McCarthy (’81), executive vice president of corporate real estate, alliances and treasurer of the The Walt Disney Company who received her MBA at UCLA Anderson; and Barbara Hulit, senior vice president of Danaher Business Systems who received her MBA at the Kellogg School at Northwestern.

All three women agreed that their MBAs had opened doors and possibilities they never thought were available. However, while those opportunities were created, they all agreed it was their work ethic that carried them through. “At some point in time I learned that it was more important to be in a space where I was learning and contributing and being valued and respected by those I worked with,” Hulit said. That spirit laid the foundation for her career path, no matter what the job title was.

And, as all three progressed, there were gender issues to confront. “Being a woman, the spotlight tends to be on you a little brighter than male colleagues,” McCarthy said. “Turn that into an asset that can help you succeed.”

During the question and answer period, an attendee asked whether questions about family and career would be asked at a conference for men in business and why the topic is always a part of conversations about women in business. Olian suggested that, as women further along in their careers, they had a responsibility to speak for those coming along behind them. “We’re answering that question now so that we can grow past that issue, and so someday the younger generation won’t have to talk about it,” she said. “There won’t be statistics about women doing one-third to one-half more chores around the house than their male partners.”

In the end, Desoer represented all four women’s positions that the most important career focus should be about hard work, perseverance and values. “Make sure you know at your core what things you will never compromise,” she said. “Write them down somewhere and stay true to that always.”

The three-day conference will continue Saturday with more keynotes, panels and networking.

For more on Forté head to their website.

Meet Your ASA Team

Brian Schoelkopf
President

A Southern California native, Brian was born and raised in north Orange County in the city of Seal Beach. He is a proud double Bruin having earned his B.A. in International Development Studies from UCLA in 2008. Upon graduation, he enrolled in the management development program with the E&J Gallo Winery, where he was able to live out the dream of many, talking about wine for a living. He served in a variety of sales and sales management positions with the winery before returning to Anderson to earn his MBA.

Currently, Brian is working towards a finance degree with a specialization in health care. For his summer internship, Brian will be working at Amgen’s Thousand Oaks office in a finance and strategy rotational program. As ASA President, Brian plans to focus on interaction between current Anderson students and Anderson alumni in addition to non-Anderson business leaders. He will also concentrate on engagement programming to strengthen the internal Anderson community. In his free time, he can be found on the golf course working hard to break 90.

Kari Schumaker
FEMBA Council President

Originally from Fullerton, Calif., Kari ventured north to complete her undergraduate studies at UC Davis, where she earned a B.S. in Biology in 2005. Beginning her career as an employee of the California State Water Resources Control Board in Sacramento, Kari worked for two years on environmental regulatory compliance and watershed management for the state. Then, with a job opportunity at the County of Orange, she returned to her native Southern California in late 2007 to work on watershed management at the local government level. Kari served first as a grant administrator and then as a watershed manager before transitioning to working on energy and utility related projects for the county, where she now serves as the utility initiatives coordinator for the OC Public Works Department. Always open to new opportunities, Kari also served on a temporary six-month assignment during 2012 as a policy advisor to then Third District Supervisor of the County of Orange, Bill Campbell.

At Anderson, Kari is seeking to enhance her career through the additional knowledge and managerial skills she obtains while earning her MBA. Additionally, she is pursuing the Leaders in Sustainability Certificate to emphasize and solidify her commitment to sustainability. During her time as president, she hopes to continue the success of her recent predecessors and to continue working towards achieving the FEMBA Council Mission of helping all FEMBA students take advantage of all possible opportunities to meet and exceed his/her educational and career objectives while at Anderson. In her spare time, Kari enjoys horseback riding, skiing and backpacking. 

Dan Reiss
Executive Vice President

Originally from the East Coast, Dan was born and raised in the Philadelphia area. In 2009, he graduated from New York University, earning a B.F.A. in drama. As an actor at NYU, Dan performed in countless off-Broadway plays, regional theatre and independent films, but ultimately he decided to go against the wishes of both of his fans to pursue his other dream of cubicle life. After graduation, he began working in a variety of marketing roles at Van Eck Global, a $40B investment management firm located in NYC.

Currently, Dan is working towards a strategy specialization for his MBA and will serve as managing partner for Anderson Strategy Group, Anderson's in-house, student-run consultancy. For his summer internship, Dan will be working in management consulting with ZS Associates in the Los Angeles office. As ASA EVP, Dan plans to focus on continuing to improve common spaces, developing better metrics to measure engagement and coordinating brand management efforts at Anderson. In his free time, he can be found on the golf course working hard to break 130.

Zubin Davar
VP, Alumni Relations

The son of Dinesh and Chhaya, and brother to Zoheb and Pongo “The Pup”, Zubin was born and raised in Mission Viejo, Calif. A proud double Bruin, Zubin earned a B.A. in Global Studies, during which he developed an interest in technological innovation within developing economies and also generated the impetus to co-found the nonprofit, The $100 Solution™. He has since circumnavigated the globe on Semester at Sea and travelled to more than thirty-five countries looking to refine his cross-cultural understanding.

Zubin dived into the startup scene post-graduation working as a market entry strategist for UCLA Professor Raul Hinojosa at his mobile technology remittance transfer startup in Venice Beach. Soon after he took a position at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, conducting political research and drafting speeches for the Ambassador to the United States in the Embassy’s Political Section.

Zubin went on to the private sector as a marketing professional for Red Bull North America, working domestically in Santa Monica and New York City, and internationally in Canada. It wasn’t long before the call of home brought him back to UCLA and to the Anderson School of Management. Currently, Zubin focuses on strategy and technology, spending his summer internship at Google. Along with his classmates, he helped revive the school’s student publication, The Anderson Exchange, serving as its managing director. He is an MBA Fellow and active alum of Anderson’s Riordan Programs. Outside of school, Zubin is an avid music fan and travel enthusiast. He enjoys snow sports, dancing like nobody is watching and loves the taste of sweet victory on the Ping-Pong table.

Devon Dickau
VP, Student Affairs

Devon has dedicated his personal and professional pursuits to trying to play a small role in making the world a better place. After graduating magna cum laude from UCLA in 2007 with a B.A. in American Literature and Culture, Devon worked for an AIDS NGO in Sub-Saharan Africa and domestically in higher education. Afterward, Devon earned his M.Ed. from Harvard University, focusing on leveraging innovative media and technology to promote social change. Prior to Anderson, Devon worked as a social impact consultant, crafting social action campaigns for nonprofit, media and corporate clients. His projects included the Tobey Maguire Innovation Fund, the award-winning film “Bully,” the global phenomenon “Caine's Arcade” and work for Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft. This summer, he will be joining global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney in San Francisco.

At Anderson, Devon is focusing on strategy and social innovation. He is a board member of the Management Consulting Association and Net Impact, co-president of [email protected], and, as an Anderson Fellow, is perhaps overly committed to giving back to the Anderson community in countless other ways. In his “free” time, Devon is an avid hiker, a creative writing teacher for HIV positive youth, a loyal UCLA sports fan, the immediate past chair of the UCLA Pediatric AIDS Coalition’s alumni board of directors, the current chair of the UCLA Young Alumni Development Council and on the board of UCLA Lambda Alumni. Originally from San Diego, Devon currently lives in Hollywood with his partner.

Kunal Gupta
VP, International Student Relations

Kunal grew up in Delhi and wanted to become a pilot. Always curious about how things worked, he went to Manipal Institute of Technology to earn his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. After graduation, he joined Accenture and worked as a technology consultant for banking clients. Two years later, he moved to J.P. Morgan Chase and was managing the operations of Chase’s biggest offshore quality team.

At Anderson, Kunal is focusing on consulting with a specialization in global management, and will intern at Deloitte in Los Angeles over the summer. He is also the VP of Professional Affairs for the Management Consulting Association board.

As VP of International Student Relations, Kunal is actively seeking ways to improve the overall experience of the international student community and make them an integral part of the broader community. He wants to use this opportunity to learn more about other cultures. Kunal is an active member of the Anderson dance community and in his free time is learning golf and loves to travel. He plans to learn flying someday and earn his private license.

John Kapteyn
VP, Finance

Born in Portland, Oregon, John’s earliest hobbies included wrestling with his siblings and struggling to find a sport he wasn’t terrible at. He moved to Atlanta with his family at eleven. After attending Georgia Tech and majoring in economics he began working as a senior financial analyst at MarketSource, where he managed a team of three analysts and was responsible for forecasting, budgeting and pricing strategies. During this time, John pursued a deep passion for competition and rowed for twelve years — culminating in racing at the World Championship Trials in 2011. After years of national and international rowing, and becoming a national champion, the pull of beaches and a vibrant West Coast business community moved him to Los Angeles.

At Anderson, he is focusing on strategy consulting and entrepreneurship. He has leadership positions in many clubs in addition to his ASA responsibilities and is a huge proponent of soaking up as much of Southern California as possible. John is looking forward to spending his summer at Deloitte’s Strategy Consulting practice here in Los Angeles. In his free time he enjoys cooking, avoiding cardiovascular exercise and going to concerts with friends. 

Neil Kapur
VP, Social

Originally from Florida, Neil attended Emory University in Atlanta where he earned a B.A. in Economics in 2008. Upon graduation, he joined Deloitte in a consulting role where he advised multinational corporations on economic strategies. He then spent two years at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey in investment banking, executing debt and equity capital raises, as well as strategic M&A advisory for private equity firms and their portfolio companies. After a brief summer in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, working with a microfinance startup, Neil returned to the Unite States and helped a payments technology startup grow via his business development and strategic partnership efforts. Neil is spending his summer working with Google in Mountain View.

Jessica Kimball
VP, Diversity and Inclusion

Jessica is a proud Los Angeles native and a proud graduate of Yale University. At Yale, Jessica played varsity basketball, actively participated in student government and earned a B.A. in Psychology. Jessica also served as an undergraduate admissions interviewer at Yale, and after graduating, she came back to Los Angeles to start her own college-admissions consulting company. Jessica started this company not only because she was drawn to entrepreneurship, but also because she ultimately wanted to help students shape their stories in unique and memorable ways.

At Anderson, Jessica has enthusiastically taken on leadership positions in numerous organizations. She spent the summer at Anderson working as a program coordinator for UC SIEML, a UC-wide management program for undergraduate students of underrepresented backgrounds in business. She is also the co-president of African American Students in Management. Jessica’s passion for furthering diversity efforts led her to create Anderson’s first-ever VP of Diversity and Inclusion. She is extremely excited to serve in this position and has huge plans for the year to come.

Jessica Knowles
VP, Ethics and Professionalism

Jessica grew up in San Diego, attending La Jolla High School before earning a degree in Economics from UC Berkeley. She moved to Washington, D.C., and after interning in the House of Representatives for a congresswoman from California, she worked for the Senate staff of the Joint Economic Committee. At the Senate, she played second base for Senator Casey’s softball team and analyzed economic data to develop reports and policy recommendations related to labor and education issues. Jessica is excited to be spending the summer as a brand management intern at Henkel. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her dog Caddy and taking ballet classes.

Shashwat Mishra
VP, Academics

Shashwat is originally from India, but has spent the last 12 years in the United States. He graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagn and moved to New York City to pursue a career in investment banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Following his time there, he joined Harman International in a corporate development role. Tired of the New York ladies chasing him around, he moved to Southern California to join an Aerospace-focused investment bank called Janes Capital Partners in 2011.

At Anderson, Shashwat is focused on a combination of corporate finance and entertainment. He is a member of the 2015 Student Investment Fund fellows, where he helps invest Anderson's endowment. As ASA VP of Academics, he is actively seeking ways to improve the academic experience at Anderson. He will be spending the summer at Houlihan Lokey in their Los Angeles office. In his free time, you can find him practicing his dance moves for his next night at the club.

Quaseer Mujawar
VP, Information Technology and Communications

Quaseer grew up in Mumbai, India, learning how to bypass his father's computer password to play games. Being passionate about technology, he moved to Cornell University to earn a master’s in Computer Science.

After graduation, he worked for Deloitte Consulting in their Public Sector practice. As a previous fast track manager, Quaseer was among the top 1 percent of the firm, having received the highest possible '1' year-end performance rating seven years in a row. He has led and implemented several technology solutions, which have won ComputerWorld Honors and NASCIO awards among others.

At Anderson he is practicing and studying entrepreneurship with a focus on technology management and marketing. In his free time, he enjoys running barefoot on the beach, muscle cars, movies and hiking.

YouTube CEO Wojcicki (’98) Addresses MBA, FEMBA, Ph.D. Graduates

Dean Judy Olian (L) and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki ('98) lead the commencement procession.

The UCLA Anderson Class of 2014 MBA, FEMBA and Ph.D. students celebrated commencement today with a keynote by YouTube CEO and, now, fellow alumni Susan Wojcicki (’98). The new graduates received their diplomas and enjoyed a perfect Southern California day outside on Wilson Plaza surrounded by relatives and friends.

Following the national anthem, performed by MBA candidates Fran Benjamin (’14) and Lindsey Knowles (’14), Dean Judy Olian thanked the crowd for their support of the students as they worked for their degrees. “For all you’ve done — and sometimes done without— we are so grateful for your support,” she said. She then encouraged students to continue to live the motto and spirit of UCLA Anderson as they begin the next chapter of their lives.

Picking from lessons she has learned in the classroom and in life, Olian advised students to turn adversity into an advantage, be honest and transparent and keep learning and taking risks with what they learn. “You can’t possibly know today what you’ll need to know in 10 years, or even in five years,” she said. “Because none of us know what we need to know!”

Olian then introduced Wojcicki to the stage for her keynote. Wojcicki said that, in her day, the company to work for was Netscape. “How many of you have even used Netscape’s browser?” she joked. Citing the film “Titanic” and the speaker at her own commencement, she reminded students “it’s possible to be very wrong,” and to be vigilant in Thinking in the Next. She turned to the recent film “Frozen” and its oft-sung main song. “You have to embrace change when consumers demand it, and be willing to ‘Let it Go,’” she said. “Look for growth, even if the opportunities really stretch you!”

Following Wojcicki’s remarks, Andrew Hull (FEMBA ’14) and Aaron Kabaker (MBA ’14) also got to address their fellow classmates and helped present the candidates for degree.

Dean Olian then introduced Glenn Lyday (’03), president of the UCLA Anderson Alumni Network board of directors and principal consultant with The Table Group, who welcomed students into the alumni network and reminded them of the opportunities for worldwide collaboration and continuation of the Anderson spirit. “You’ll be glad to know that same collaborative, team-focused, fun attitude of the students here at Anderson carries over as alumni,” he said.

The ceremony culminated with Dean Olian conferring upon all their degrees. A reception followed in UCLA Anderson’s Alumni Plaza.

Quarterly Forecast Predicts Uneven Growth for Economy, Commercial Real Estate

(L to R) UCLA Anderson Forecast Economist William Yu; UCLA Anderson Forecast Senior Economist Jerry Nickelsburg; CBRE Greater Los Angeles-Orange County Region President Lewis C. Horne; UCLA Anderson Forecast director Ed Leamer; and UCLA Anderson Forecast Senior Economist David Shulman

The UCLA Anderson Forecast held its second quarterly conference of 2014 and it was a good news/bad news outlook. In partnership with the UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate, the special topic was “The Changing Landscape of Commercial Real Estate,” and included initial results from the Allen Matkins/UCLA Anderson Forecast California Commercial Real Estate Survey.

David Shulman, Forecast senior economist, predicted that, although there are major pressures and sweeping changes at work in the commercial real estate sector, not all is bad. “We will see a rebound in commercial construction,” he told attendees. That being said, he noted factors such as e-commerce, disruptive technologies like rental site Airbnb, smaller space needs on a per worker basis and even the Panama Canal widening will cause deep challenges. “You’ll see pressure on rents across the entire [commercial real estate] system as more and more purchases go to e-commerce,” he said. “The fancy malls think they’re immune, but it’s not clear that’s true.”

Keynote speaker Lewis C. Horne, CBRE’s president for the Greater Los Angeles-Orange County Region, noted that his company had itself done a major restructuring of their office into an open-floor-plan workspace. Downsizing worker space would seem counterintuitive to the economics of the world's largest commercial real estate services firm, but he said the benefits are more than just rental savings. “I would do this [type of reorganizing] without the cost savings. We’re a better company because of it,” he said. He also expressed optimism for the region’s CRE prospects. “It’s a great time to be in Southern California and the Los Angeles area. We’ve never seen global investment the way we have today,” he said. “Four of the largest deals in downtown L.A. were from Asian investors.”

In fact, Forecast Economist William Yu echoed Horne’s optimism in his talk “From China to California: Trans-Pacific investment in Real Estate.” Noting the high purchase price to rental rate ratios in China, Yu said the economic logic to inflows of Chinese capital makes sense. “If I’m a Chinese investor, I should sell the condo in Shanghai and buy one in Westwood and collect the higher rent,” he said. Specifically, he said the Los Angeles area is an ideal place for Chinese real estate investment because of the depth and liquidity of the economy, the geographic location, large Asian communities and nice weather.

That focus on Asian investment in Los Angeles and greater California might be one reason for UCLA Anderson Forecast Senior Economist Jerry Nickelsburg’s optimism for the California economy. “In the United States, a few states are leading the recovery and California is one of them,” he said. “There are a few states with very, very sick labor forces.”

Those deep labor and economic issues affecting the U.S. economic outlook are more than just standard swings in historic trends, said Ed Leamer, Forecast director. “We’re in the midst of some deep secular changes,” he said, noting fundamental deviations from expected economic behavior. “It requires the attention of our national leadership to give us the medicine to cure the disease [outlined] here,” he said.

The quarterly conference culminated in a panel discussion featuring real estate industry representatives, who shared their thoughts and predictions for the commercial real estate sector.

For more on today’s event, which also featured a sneak peak at the upcoming Allen Matkins/UCLA Anderson Forecast California Commercial Real Estate Survey publishing in July 2014, visit the UCLA Anderson Forecast website.

Looking Through the Wine Glass: A GAP experience

The premise seemed reasonable enough: Look for viable ways to help a successful California-based wine company expand its business into the Brazilian market. As Global Access Program projects go, it had lots of appeal: wine (who doesn’t love wine?); exportation; expanding in a booming market with a growing middle class — and working with tangible products already in production.

“It seemed like the hot ticket,” says team member Dave Insley (FEMBA ’13). “It was something we could get behind and flesh out to see if the idea was possible.”

“It looked to be a sexy project for a well-rounded team, one that wasn’t looking for five engineers,” adds Craig Mitchell (FEMBA ’13). “With our respective knowledge and experience in finance and operations, as well as online and creative marketing, we had all of the unique backgrounds that they wanted to see up front. It was an industry that excited all of us.”

In addition to Insley and Mitchell, the team included Andrew Partridge (FEMBA ‘13), Ryan Kimmel (FEMBA ’13) and Kyle Krafft (FEMBA ‘13), all of whom worked together on various projects and knew each other well. “We built the right team from the first day at orientation that worked well together,” says Partridge. “We had no choice but to succeed.”

Kyle Krafft (FEMBA ‘13), Ryan Kimmel (FEMBA ’13), Craig Mitchell (FEMBA ’13), Dave Insley (FEMBA ’13) and Andrew Partridge (FEMBA ‘13)

Little did they know when they took on this project how important it would be to have a tight-knit crew.

The team was primed to help the client, Turn Key Wines, expand its overall business operations and evaluate an export market entry strategy for the Brazilian wine market. According to Nicholas Miller, Turn Key vice president of sales and marketing, Brazil looked ripe for the company’s expansion plans and interest in global exports, considering the country’s recent growth, booming economy, attention to tourism, the upcoming World Cup, etc.

“I didn’t think that it wasn’t going to work — until we got to Brazil,” admits Insley.

Kimmel concurs. “It wasn’t a bad idea, until we were on the ground.”

“From an export/import perspective, we saw red flags early on,” says Krafft. “It became clear that there would be hurdles to jump, given the complexity of the wine business and trade relations together with the competitive landscape with Chile and Argentina, which could ship wines to Brazil much more cheaply than we could.”

Complicating the effort were a battery of challenges, including high taxes and tariffs, large tax breaks for Argentinian and Chilean producers, and astronomical shipping and storing costs. To top it off, Turn Key Wines did not have established brand recognition, which was critical in a market that catered to an upper class that valued status symbols and were willing to pay for the privilege.

Over the course of the project, the team interviewed 109 individuals, culminating in more than 135 hours of research that covered all portions of the value chain, from distributors, retailers and importers to restaurateurs and wine dealers. They conducted two primary research trips to Sao Paulo, Brazil, and interviewed contacts at multiple locations and events in the United States.

In the end, the resolution appeared to be a no-brainer, according to Kimmel.

“We ran the numbers and the idea made no sense at this time,” says Kimmel. “Turn Key would be taking too much risk to make this expansion work at this time.”

The team was perhaps hardest on themselves with these findings. “My initial feeling was, ‘We failed,’” says Mitchell. “How come we can’t make this happen? After hundreds of hours of research, why can’t we find a way?”

While they couldn’t ignore the research, everyone knew it was going to be difficult to tell the company what they thought they wanted to do was wrong.

The solution? The team collaboratively worked to find other international opportunities and created a roadmap for potential entry into the Brazilian market. They also outlined key recommendations to better prepare the company for a Brazilian market when the climate changes and provided a broader export strategy that could benefit its domestic business. These included developing relationships with domestic wine exporters that specialize in exporting wines worldwide, developing a long-term branding strategy and hiring a dedicated person to handle marketing and sales and the branding initiative.

The Turn Key response: “They helped us understand that the U.S. market is a much different market than abroad,” says Marshall Miller, Turn Key vice president of finance and operations. “Being on the ground, they got to see how the process works, which we wouldn’t have known otherwise.”

“Through their thoughtful analysis, the team gave us the footprint to pursue a successful export strategy,” says Turn Key’s Miller. “In fact, one of our biggest markets now for Turn Key products (Smashberry and Ballard Lane) is Western Canada.”

The Takeaways

The lessons learned from the GAP project are vast, according to Insley. “Working on this project changed my outlook, gave me a greater sense of confidence to take on more responsibilities. Putting together a robust business plan provided a ton of knowledge that I’ve used to make two other plans — and since then have had two promotions.“

“Having been in banking for eight years, this experience opened me up to seek out new roles, adding more diversity in my daily activities and responsibilities,” adds Kyle. “The job we performed with this project grew so much and was so diverse, our success made me reflect on how much else is out there. This was the catalyst to make me move toward more problem-solving responsibilities.”

“This project was the most rewarding thing I did in school,” admits Mitchell. “It was a paradigm shift in how I look at my career and future. I learned how to properly analyze a market situation in an industry I knew very little about — how to follow logic, research and data to help make informed decisions. It taught me how to recognize my strengths and weaknesses and how to rely on my team, especially in an environment with smart, intelligent people.”

“This experience taught me to be very thorough, especially in my analysis,” says Kimmel. “I’ve learned not to hesitate to pick up the phone and call an expert in an area in which I am unfamiliar.”

The project also provided Kimmel with a side benefit. He had the opportunity to serve Turn Key wine at his wedding, which he admits was not only a big draw for the attendees, but a sure way to encourage the bride to make her appearance.

Despite going their separate ways after graduation, the team remains close and in contact. In fact, Krafft, Insley and Kimmel will be meeting up in Nicaragua soon for a bit of surfing.

“I know I have made friends for life,“ says Partridge. “Whether I am in New York or find myself back in the Philippines, I know they will still be my friends.”

The team:
Dave Insley: Johnson & Johnson (Los Angeles), product management, global web platform owner
Kyle Krafft: Bank of America (Los Angeles), mortgage and strategy
Ryan Kimmel: Doubleline (Los Angeles), macro asset allocation analyst
Craig Mitchell: Warner Brothers (Burbank, CA), brand manager for video game division
Andrew Partridge: Lemlunay Development Corp. (Philippines), consulting

For more on GAP, head to the program page.

Germany Might Have Taken ‘Highway to Hitler’

Nico Voigtländer

The 70th anniversary of D-Day passed last week with memorials and celebrations in Normandy and beyond. But one UCLA Anderson researcher posits the sacrifices of so many that day might’ve been avoided if Hitler hadn’t ridden an unexpected landmark to power—the Autobahn.

In the working paper “Highway to Hitler” by Nico Voigtländer, UCLA Anderson assistant professor of economics, and Hans-Joachim Voth, an economist at the University of Zurich, the two researchers ask, “Can infrastructure investment win ‘hearts and minds?’” They conclude that building the motorway network helped Hitler’s Nazi party rise to power through positive propaganda and unemployment reductions. “Our results suggest that road building was highly effective, reducing opposition to the nascent Nazi regime,” they write.

Voigtländer and Voth analyzed voting records between November 1933 and August 1934 and found support for Hitler grew fastest in areas along the Autobahn construction corridors.

Speaking with The Atlantic’s urban-focused online journal CityLab, Voigtländer said government spending can be quite effective in swaying political opposition. "We find strong evidence for changes in voting behavior in one of the most salient examples of infrastructure spending," he told the journal. "Also, we show this in a context of attracting votes from the opposition — i.e., people who were hardest to convince."

For more, head to Voigtländer’s Anderson website or read the CityLab article.

Mayor Garcetti’s Office, UCLA Forecast Partner to Launch DataLA

Forecast Economist William Yu

In the latest collaboration between the UCLA Anderson Forecast and the City of Los Angeles, the Forecast has partnered with Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office to help launch a new online open data portal that seeks to create transparency and accountability in city government. This web portal, called DataLA, acts as a central resource for anyone seeking data about the city — from jobs and the economy, to public safety, quality of life and government efficiency.

“Our new Open Data portal gives residents access to the same information as their elected officials,” Garcetti said in an official statement for the May 31 launch. “With this new tool, academics, developers, journalists and anyone with an interest in Los Angeles can access a one-stop treasure trove of information that was previously scattered across city websites if it was available at all."

To help the city provide the public the most accurate employment data on the DataLA portal, Economist William Yu worked closely with the mayor’s office to develop the “UCLA Anderson Forecast Los Angeles City Monthly Employment Estimate,” which shows household employment and payroll employment data, updated monthly. Learn more about the methodology behind the employment numbers here.

For more on the Forecast and their upcoming conference, head here.