By Carolyn Gray Anderson
UCLA Anderson alumni from 44 class years ― ranging from 1962 to 2017― convened for the May 4–5 Alumni Weekend, starting with the annual conference and Dean Judy Olian’s final State of the School report. Addressing the crowd in Korn Convocation Hall, she acknowledged an extra element of emotion this year: “In another couple of months I’ll become an ‘alum’ in a sense, myself.”
Olian departs at the end of the academic year to become president of Quinnipiac University. “We all try to leave a mark at Anderson,” she said, “something that lifts this extraordinary school higher and leaves it better than when we arrived. Each class aims to do that.”
With the help of faculty, staff, students, donors, and alumni, Olian said she, too, has tried to raise the bar at Anderson since she arrived in 2006. The accomplishments she listed included the school’s increasingly global outlook and education, the growing strength of its academic centers and progress on diversity and inclusion.
The dean’s remarks preceded a keynote address by double Bruin Yvonne Wassenaar (B.A. ’90, ’96), CEO of enterprise drone analytics company Airware. Wassenaar champions the use of modern technology to improve safety and efficiency in major industries. Previously the CIO of New Relic and a top executive at VMware, she focuses on “digitizing the physical world to unleash the power of machine learning, AI, robotics and cloud computing.” She outlined her journey from operations consulting to technical roles to assuming a “day job” in the C suite, emphasizing the need to remain an agile learner through all phases.
The conference closed with a conversation between Professor of Marketing and Behavioral Decision Making Sanjay Sood and the successful alumna he boasts as his first entertainment marketing student. Amy Powell (’05) rose to become president of Paramount Television and Digital Entertainment, despite having no previous television experience, per se. Both she and Wassenaar spoke to the value of doing the work that fulfills you, even in advance of a formal appointment to do so.
As an English major, Powell was an avid storyteller who, even in college, knew she wanted some day to run a studio. Her mentors include the first female studio head in the film industry, Sherry Lansing, former CEO of Paramount Pictures; and the late Brad Grey, then Paramount’s CEO, with whom Powell worked on microbudget film unit Insurge Pictures and once brainstormed about diversifying into TV and exploring a digital marketing strategy — something she researched with Sood while still a student. Grey listened to her ideas and decided she should run the business — which has produced 24 shows in the last four years, including Grease Live, winner of five Emmy awards and 10 nominations, the most ever received for a live televised musical.
For Powell, being the first employee of Paramount Television had its advantages. “The good thing about starting from scratch is there’s no legacy,” she said. “Our business model is straight-to-series, no pilots. We were profitable in year one.”
Powell’s current projects include season 2 of the popular Netflix teen drama 13 Reasons Why and a six-episode adaptation of Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 for Hulu, starring George Clooney (who will also produce and direct) in his first TV role since ER in the early 1990s. Powell said she’s excited about this project in part because “the insanity of war has never been more prevalent than now.”
Her best advice for anyone trying to break into a field without a real track record is to “work for someone great.” And Powell has shared her success with those who started out with her, helping assistants rise to senior roles and placing a premium on a diverse workforce that will bring a variety of stories to the business — which is 64 percent female. She takes an active role with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and serves on the board of Makers.
The 2018 Alumni Conference also included faculty presentations and breakout sessions on topics such as the intergenerational workplace. Bernard Briskin (’49), president, CEO and chairman of the board of the Arden Group, received the John E. Anderson Distinguished Alumni Award; and the 2018 Outstanding Alumni Service Award was given to Dennis J. Keegan (B.A. ’74, ’80), chairman at Digital Assets Strategies.
Alumni traveled from 27 states and 19 countries, including Singapore, Russia, Peru and Australia. UCLA Anderson Classes of ’83, ’88, ’93, ’98, ’03, ’08 and ’13 celebrated reunions. Saturday Sessions explored the non-linear, dynamic path to personal and professional fulfillment through two workshops designed to clarify professionals’ journey and articulate their stories in a relevant way for partners, employers or clients.
Olian closed her State of the School remarks by saying that Anderson is in great shape, with “a world-class faculty, inspiring students and alumni, a strong and innovative financial model, and a portfolio of smart, market-leading programs that will provide flexibility and resilience for years to come,” she said. “And it’s an institution that takes risks, that rattles the cage a little, that forges new paths. That’s what we do, and that’s what will be needed in the future. I know that Anderson will continue to lead the way, as it has always done.”
Thank you so much Dean Judy Olian for this conference.
Posted by: blueastral | 06/15/2018 at 12:37 AM
Great job Dean Olian, wishing you the best of luck at Quinnipiac.
Posted by: Scott Rogers | 06/04/2018 at 06:52 AM