UCLA Anderson School of Management Blog

Coaching Executive MBAs Is Changing Character

Traditionally, Executive MBA (EMBA) students have sought career services that focus on managing their careers with their current employers. But with fewer companies sponsoring their executives to pursue MBAs, and more and more EMBA students paying their own way, the demand for services has increased and also changed character.

Susan Dearing, executive director and EMBA career coach in the UCLA Anderson Executive MBA program, spoke with Top MBA about her role in helping to guide and advance the careers of a new generation of EMBA students.

EMBAs, unlike most full-time MBA candidates, have 10-12 years of professional experience; but if they are looking to move into a new area or change companies, they may need much the same coaching that less experienced graduates rely on.

“Students need to understand the process of finding work, which is all about getting out there and knowing how to research the job market,” says Dearing. “This allows students to target and identify job opportunities that are going to be the right fit for them. The networking process is particularly important — being able to create relationships [that] put students in a position where they can hear about opportunities when they come up. They won't just be relying on the advertised job market or the job openings that are posted in various places. A commonly quoted statistic is that 80 percent of all executive-level jobs are never advertised, they are filled through word of mouth. So, there's a big emphasis here on what the process is for finding those kinds of unadvertised jobs.”

Read Susan Dearing’s full interview with Top MBA

Interest from More than 100 Anderson Students and 45 Alumni to Break Bread at Alumni Dinners for Eight

By Zubin Davar (’15) and Saki Takasu (’16)

Building off the success of its International Dinners for Eight (D48), the Anderson Student Association, in partnership with Anderson's Office of Alumni Relations, recently wrapped up its inaugural 2015 season of Alumni D48s.

The Alumni D48s are aimed at strengthening another bridge within the Anderson community: alumni and current students. Events take place in the evenings around Los Angeles, bringing together Anderson alumni and students in a group of eight for dinner. In these intimate settings, students gain invaluable insight into alumni life experiences post-graduation, including career, professional development and personal life. In turn, alumni hear about recent campus developments and impressive achievements within the current Anderson student community.

ASA VP of Alumni Affairs Zubin Davar pioneered the 2015 program with First-Year Alumni Affairs Director Saki Takasu. The Office of Alumni Relations was instrumental in guiding the overall program strategy and reaching out to our beloved alumni. 

“As students, we’re fortunate to meet and learn face-to-face from Anderson alumni — executives at the top of their respective industries,” says Davar. “However, we were lacking a perspective on what life is like for alumni leading up to those career milestones. That’s really valuable information for students thinking long-term about their careers.”

Upon the Alumni D48 program launch in February, ASA received unprecedented interest from both the student body and alumni community. More than 100 students and 45 alumni signed up for the program to break bread and to share stories of before, during and after their MBA experience.

ASA and OAR look forward to continuing the Alumni D48s in 2016. Be on the lookout for more information on Anderson’s Facebook page and in your email in box.

Women Entrepreneurs Open Annual Montgomery Summit

Left to right: Dean Judy Olian, Kelsey Doorey, Kyla Brennan, Shradha Agarwal

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By Cheechee Lin

On Monday, March 9, an array of women business leaders and entrepreneurs gathered to recognize the achievements of women in the business world. The event kicked off the prestigious Montgomery Summit and was held in Santa Monica’s Fairmont Hotel.

Jane Chynoweth (’15), who serves as an academic intern for the Montgomery Summit, helped organize the event. “The summit this year has a strong theme — celebrating the rise of the female entrepreneur,” Chynoweth said. “It’s exciting to see some men in the room who are very supportive of our mission, and we would like to see the support grow in the years to come. This is not a gender issue, but rather a business imperative that exists, and we need a strong call to action.”

UCLA Anderson Dean Judy Olian moderated a panel, which included Kelsey Doorey (’13), founder and CEO of Vow To Be Chic; Kyla Brennan, founder and CEO of HelloSociety; and Shradha Agarwal, co-founder of ContextMedia.

International Food Festival: Tasty Highlights of Diversity at Anderson

Relish an entire gallery of photos from the 2015 IFF!

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By Sayali Kasture (’16) and Sharon Weng (’16)

Anderson’s annual International Food Festival (IFF) celebrates diversity by bringing different cuisines from all over the world to Alumni Plaza. This year, guests enjoyed delicacies from 14 different countries and regions. The event brought together more than 300 students and faculty, a record turnout for the event.

This year’s festival featured cuisine from Armenia, Brazil, China, Chile, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States, as well as Asian and Latin Fusion. Beverages from countries around the globe selected by the Craft Beer Club and the Anderson Wine Club also spiced up the menu. Hosts went out of their way to share dishes from their countries with an enthusiastic bunch of students curious about other cultures. People relished the Armenian cakes and cookies. With its savory Asian fusion BBQ ribs, the Asian Management Students Association (AMSA) got the most votes for best table, followed by the Taiwanese table, which served rice cake and gua bao (steamed pork bun).

In addition to the authentic food prepared by representatives from each country, cultural diversity was demonstrated by the unique decoration of each table and the traditional costumes worn by the hosts, including members of the Japanese Business Student Association (JABA), Greater China Student Association (GCBA), and South Asian Business Association (SABA). Delivering a strong image of Korean culture, the Korean Business Student Association (KBSA) even showcased K-pop music hits via LED screen. Effective marketing strategies and great food earned KBSA the highest revenue among all tables.

Dean Judy Olian was delighted to join IFF, too. “Authentic,” “interesting” and “delicious” were the words students used to describe the event. Receiving positive feedback from both the faculty and the students, the International Business Association has successfully promoted the cultural diversity of the Anderson community through the annual IFF.

Fink Center Private Equity Roundtable Brings Together Students and Top Business Professionals

By Daniel Litvak

On March 10, 2015, the Fink Center at UCLA Anderson held its 5th annual Private Equity Roundtable in the Executive Dining Room in Gold Hall. More than 100 individuals gathered to discuss the state of private equity today.

The event began with a cocktail reception, where students mingled with 40-50 industry professionals from the top private equity shops in Southern California. This reception was followed by a keynote discussion with David Kaplan, co-founder of Ares Management and Senior Partner of Ares Private Equity, moderated by Professor Bill Cockrum of UCLA Anderson. The evening concluded with three roundtable sessions between students and industry professionals.

New Technology Excites Hollywood Executive Peter Guber, Despite Slow Growth of Entertainment Jobs in L.A.

Left to right: Sanjay Sood, Jerry Nickelsburg, Peter Guber, David Shulman, Edward Leamer and William Yu

View more photos from the Forecast event

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By Carolyn Gray Anderson

UCLA Anderson Forecast’s first quarter report included special consideration of the entertainment industry and its relationship to the Los Angeles economy. Forecast economists Edward Leamer, Jerry Nickelsburg, David Shulman (’66) and William Yu presented the report to an audience at Culver City’s Kirk Douglas Theater, sharing the good news that the U.S. economy appears to be strong and stable amid international volatility. Two panels of experts focused on how the California economy is affected by ebbs and flows in the entertainment industry.

Guest Peter Guber, CEO and chairman of Mandalay Entertainment Group, in conversation with UCLA Professor of Marketing Sanjay Sood, provided the energetic high point of the event. Guber, who is a lecturer at UCLA Anderson, has a lot to be excited about: he was chairman and CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, chairman and CEO of Polygram Entertainment, co-founder of Casablanca Record & Filmworks and president of Columbia Pictures. He’s a best-selling author and has produced or executive produced major films that garnered five Best Picture Academy Award nominations, including a win for Rain Man.

Southern California Real Estate Industry Benefits If We Build Resilient Communities Now

Matt Petersen delivered the keynote address.

View the entire gallery of photos from the symposium

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By Carolyn Gray Anderson

On March 10, the latest U.S. Geological Survey announced that the chance of a magnitude 8.0 or greater earthquake hitting California in the next 30 years is estimated to be 7 percent — up from earlier predictions of less than 5 percent. Add to our high seismic risk the diminishing snow pack, longer periods of drought and heat wave, rising sea levels and more frequent wildfires, and the outlook for quality of life in California seems grim.

The UCLA Green Building Symposium, co-presented by the UCLA Anderson Ziman Center for Real Estate and Los Angeles Better Buildings Challenge (LABBC), convened under the title Resiliency: Managing Energy, Water, and Seismic Risk, Implications for Property Owners. A panel of experts, moderated by LABBC executive director David Hodgins, discussed how striving for localized, integrated sustainable solutions to environmental problems now will enable us to withstand crises later. Resiliency, they agreed, is about preparing for how we weather significant economic disruption as a result of disaster.

Matt Petersen, the City of Los Angeles’ first chief sustainability officer, delivered the keynote address, saying, “We need to change the definition of ourselves from consumers to citizens.” The former president and CEO of nonprofit Global Green USA said that “citizen entrepreneurs” take responsibility for a corner of the world to make sure it’s a sustainable part of a resilient whole.

Mujeres del Pacifico Expands the Global Reach of Latin American Businesswomen

By Sofia Moreno Haq

The 2015 UCLA Anderson Latin American Business Association Conference, Latin America: Leadership, Society and Globalization, included a special panel on leadership and the role of women in Latin America. Moderated by Dean Judy Olian, it included Jeffrey Davidow, former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and Venezuela; Ambassador of the Argentine Republic to the United States Cecilia Nahon; and Fernanda Vicente, co-founder and president of Mujeres del Pacifico.

Vicente’s organization helps to propel Latin American women professionals into global business arenas. “We teach women to be entrepreneurs — good quality entrepreneurs, through innovation and export, and in managing all the things they really need,” said Vicente. “We take women from Latin America and bring them to countries like Brazil and Bali to learn business.”

UCLA Anderson Forecast: Special Reports Examine Entertainment Industry and California Ports

The UCLA Anderson Forecast’s quarterly conference takes place on Thursday, March 12, 2015, in Culver City. In addition to a number of panel discussions that focus on the entertainment industry, Peter Guber, CEO of Mandalay Entertainment, will engage in a keynote conversation with UCLA Anderson Professor Sanjay Sood.

UCLA Anderson Forecast’s first quarterly report for the United States economy indicates that the nation “looks like an island of stability in a very volatile world.” The implication is that the U.S. is still on track for 3% GDP growth for the next two years, despite slow growth and currency devaluations throughout much of the rest of the developed world. Payroll employment is expected to increase at a 250,000-per-month pace and the national unemployment rate will hit 5% by year’s end.

UCLA Anderson Forecast Senior Economist David Shulman says that despite weak global growth and the very strong U.S. dollar the (national) economy remains on a 3% growth path for real GDP over the next two years, which will bring the unemployment rate down to 5% by the end of this year. “While inflation is being temporarily suppressed by the drop in oil prices,” Shulman says, “it will soon be running above 2% as oil prices gradually recover.” He says that the near term downside for the U.S. economy will come from a collapse in the capital spending associated with oil and gas production, while housing starts will advance more quickly than previously predicted.

The California forecast is not much changed in the three months since the last release, and calls for steady gains in employment through 2017. A slightly weaker first and second quarter for 2015 is anticipated for California, which will be offset by stronger third and fourth quarters. “The increase in U.S. growth rates from construction, automobiles, and business investment as well as higher consumer demand will continue to fuel our local economy,” says Senior Economist Jerry Nickelsburg, author of the California forecast.

The Forecast’s March publication includes two additional research reports: an examination of the labor issues that have beset Southern California’s ports; and a look at the entertainment industry as it relates to the Los Angeles economy.

Economist William Yu examined the entertainment industry and its impact on the Los Angeles economy and found that from 2001 to 2013, the industry in Los Angeles grew by 22% in terms of total employee compensation. Meanwhile, the nationwide compensation for the industry grew 33% and its total output by 80%. While the modest growth of Hollywood during this period is higher than the Los Angeles economy overall, the growth is lower than other star industries in other major metros, such as Silicon Valley’s high-tech sector.

Read the press release

Full list of Forecast speakers:

Edward Leamer, Director, UCLA Anderson Forecast

David Shulman, Senior Economist, UCLA Anderson Forecast

Jerry Nickelsburg, Senior Economist, UCLA Anderson Forecast

William Yu, Economist, UCLA Anderson Forecast

Sanjay Sood, Professor of Marketing, UCLA Anderson School of Management

Teri Schwartz, Dean, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television

Lincoln Wallen, CTO, Dreamworks Animation SKG

Cathy Pellow, Owner/Manager, Sargent House

Lori Kozlowski, Editorial Director, Atom Factory & Former Correspondent, Variety and Forbes

Bruce Doering, Executive Director, International Cinematographers Guild

Amy Lemisch, Executive Director, California Film Commission

Kenneth Ziffren, Founding Partner, Ziffren Brittenham, Chairman of the Entertainment & Media Law Program, UCLA School of Law

Brian Farrell, Former Chairman and CEO, THQ

Erich Schwartzel, Reporter, Wall Street Journal

 

"I teach my students that it’s not enough to give employees and co-workers a voice, you have to actually consider what they say."

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With childhood memories of living in places as different as Europe, Canada and Asia, social psychologist Margaret Shih studies diversity in organizations, focusing in particular on social identity and the psychological effects of stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination and stigma. Research is in her blood, she says, and Anderson’s interdisciplinary environment and the energy of her students influence Shih to formulate the questions she wants most to explore.

Q: You were born in the U.S., but spent your early childhood in Germany, later childhood and adolescence in Canada, and summers in Japan with your Taiwanese grandmother. How did living in all of these different cultures when you were young shape your perspectives as an adult?

I think living in diverse cultures fed my natural curiosity about people and probably made me more open-minded and adaptable. I was seven when we moved from Bonn to Ottawa; I didn’t speak one word of English. Luckily, Vancouver is a very polite and welcoming city and I soon felt at home. I have enjoyed all the places I’ve lived for different reasons and they have each enriched me.

Q: Do you still consider Vancouver your hometown?

I love Vancouver and, in some important ways, Los Angeles reminds me of it. Both cities are in beautiful settings with diverse populations. There is a shared appreciation of the outdoors and focus on protecting the environment. And people are friendly here, too, though not necessarily polite on the freeways.

Q: Did you always want to be an academic or did you have other career goals as a child?

As a kid, I wanted to be a painter. Or a cellist. Unfortunately, my talents didn’t match those ambitions.

 

Q: So you abandoned the arts and turned your attention to psychology, earning your B.A. in psychology from Stanford and your M.A. and Ph.D. in social psychology from Harvard. What inspired that focus and ambition?

I was always curious about people and I think research was in my blood. My dad was a chemist who moved from academia into industry. Both he and my mom were strong role models for me. They valued education and hard work. But they valued family most of all. My dad turned down several promotions in order to have more time with the family. And my mom stayed at home until my sister and I started school. Then, she opened a Hello Kitty store — ahead of trend.