UCLA Anderson School of Management Blog

How One UCLA Anderson Alumna Endeavored to Build Hispanic Leadership

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National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 through October 15. UCLA Anderson, in conjunction with the Anderson Latino Management Association and the UCLA campus, recognizes the significant contributions to society among our Latino and Hispanic students, alumni, staff and faculty. Visit Latino@Anderson to enjoy their stories.

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By Elise Anderson

It started as the Latino Management Students Association at UCLA — a group of about a dozen 1985 MBA graduates of what was then the UCLA Graduate School of Management. They would casually meet “and hang out between classes during the day,” according to Maggie Peña (’85). It was the unofficial, informal way to meet other Latino MBAs.

It wasn’t until a few years after graduation that Peña, the first Latina manager at Paramount Studios, and Henry Hernandez (’85), who was working at a large defense company, noticed something similar in their respective work environments. “There were no people of color at our companies except for those cleaning the offices,” Peña says.

Origins and Outreach

In search of a remedy, Peña and Hernandez reconnected with a number of original LMSA members, hoping to gather some collective thoughts. At the first meeting, only four MBAs attended, including Chris Arranaga (’85), Richard Rey (’85), Peña and Hernandez. “Clearly, we needed to get more people involved, so we reached out to other Latino MBAs in the local area, then nationally, to gather greater strength,” Peña explains.

With a campaign to reach out (mostly by telephone, mail and fax) to other business schools and “anyone willing to share graduate information or databases,” interest in the organization began to take shape. Peña gives credit to Paramount, which allowed her to make copies of material for mailings, and to a number of women who helped to launch the organization, including Jeannine Jaramillo, a USC and Harvard graduate, and Jaramillo’s friend Elizabeth Muñoz from USC.

Alumna Esther Torrez Went from Farming to Finance to Building “Forever Families”

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National Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 through October 15. UCLA Anderson, in conjunction with the Anderson Latino Management Association and the UCLA campus, recognizes the significant contributions to society among our Latino and Hispanic students, alumni, staff and faculty. Visit Latino@Anderson to enjoy their stories.

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By Jill Hisey (B.A.’87, ’95) and Carolyn Gray Anderson

Esther Torrez (’82) looks at the shifting financial landscape in much the same way a farmer might regard the agricultural landscape. “Sometimes, you plant a crop,” she says, “and weather destroys the entire crop. Your entire financial livelihood is gone.” Make-or-break solutions to securing a livelihood — whether they come in the form of an advanced education or answers to the problem of homelessness among teens exiting the foster system — form the leitmotif of Torrez’ career.

Torrez grew up in California’s San Joaquin Valley, the granddaughter of a man who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico to work the land around Tulare, raising cotton, rice and cattle. He taught himself math and reading and advanced to management in agriculture. His granddaughter, in her turn, helped her migrant classmates in elementary school learn English. Her dream since the first grade was to become a teacher.

Earning a bachelor’s degree from Fresno State, and a Master of Psychology from California State University, Bakersfield, Torrez became the teacher she dreamed of being and, later, dean of girls at Pioneer Junior High in Porterville. She was recruited away to become an associate professor of psychology and sociology at Bakersfield College, where she also served as a counselor. Eventually, though, Torrez wanted to expand her knowledge of the business world, and she applied to what was then UCLA’s Graduate School of Management.

UCLA Anderson Forecast: Could Dysfunction in Washington Spill Over to the U.S. Economy?

UCLA Anderson Forecast’s third quarterly report in 2017 anticipates modest growth in real GDP with gains in employment. On a national level, a number of pro-growth economic policies involving proposed tax cuts, investment in infrastructure and regulatory relief were expected to be initiated this year by the new administration in Washington, D.C., but few have transpired. Although there has been some progress on the regulatory front, challenges remain on a host of issues, including immigration, health care and trade policies. In California, the forecast is slightly lower, reflecting the administration’s difficulties in getting proposals passed.

On Wednesday, September 27, the UCLA Anderson Forecast examines the Death and Life of Retail in America, with a keynote by Gary Schoenfeld, former CEO of Pacific Sunwear and Vans Inc., and a panel of e-commerce experts. UCLA Anderson Forecast Economist William Yu examined the decline in employment in the retail industry across the country and found that despite continued economic expansion, employment in this sector declined by 29,000 in one year. What has been the second largest private-sector employer in the U.S. has now dropped to the fourth largest.

With an increase in online shopping and more stores using automated checkout in place of cashiers, Yu predicts retail might “become the next shrinking sector in terms of jobs over the next few decades.”

Mutual Admiration and Close Friendship with Marion Anderson Inspire a Gift from UCLA Professors Don and Sherie Morrison

By Paul Feinberg

When UCLA Professors Don and Sherie Morrison were given the opportunity to honor their friend Marion Anderson with a gift toward the construction of the building that would bear her name, they did not hesitate. As a result of their generosity, Marion Anderson Hall will include the Morrison Family Board Room, named for the two professors and benefactors. The groundbreaking on the hall, the latest addition to the Anderson complex, will take place later this year.

The Morrisons’ decision was born of the close friendship the pair had with both Marion and John Anderson. The two couples were friends for many years before John Anderson passed away in 2011 and Marion just last spring.

“Over the years, she became one of our dearest friends. We just enjoyed spending time with her,” says Don. “We admired her so much. You combine all of this, with me as a professor, Sherie as part of the community and our two daughters with MBAs, and with such great colleagues here, including Dean Judy (Olian) — what else could we do?”

Learning the Ropes: A First-Year MBA Takes Action, Builds Trust at UCLA Anderson Orientation

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Chenjie Ding (’19) is a first-year MBA student at UCLA Anderson. Prior to enrolling at Anderson, she worked for six years as a business journalist in China and the U.S. writing about tech, entrepreneurship, M&As, private wealth and, as she says, “anything in between!” Her work appeared in Forbes, Brightwire and the Wall Street Journal and on the BBC, among others. For the last two years, she oversaw a team of more than 10 reporters and 50 freelancers to cover the global tech industry, which she says taught her a lot about media strategy, operations and team management. “Now I want to transition into tech,” she says, “leveraging Anderson’s top-ranking career resources and strong industry ties.” We invited Ding to share her impressions of her first few weeks at Anderson.

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By Chenjie Ding

Orientation

One of the first things I did after arriving in L.A. was to go to Dean Rob Weiler’s office. I met him for the first time in February, when he hosted a lunch for a few admitted students in Westwood. He is sharp and charismatic. I was amazed by how quickly he connected with us on a very personal level.

When he sent out an email inviting first-years to have one-on-one meetings before orientation, I signed up immediately. Although many business schools boast great access to mentorship, I never expected it to be so easy! At the end of our conversation, he challenged me, asking, “What are the leadership skills you want to develop the most at Anderson?”

He added, “Think about it and work on them deliberately.”