UCLA Anderson School of Management Blog

UCLA Anderson Eagerly Awaits Marion Anderson Hall

By Carolyn Gray Anderson

UCLA Anderson is on a growth trajectory — in excellence, reputation and numbers. Yet Anderson is one of only three leading U.S. business schools without a recent expansion to keep pace with enhanced programs, top faculty and students. As we prepare students for meaningful global careers amid growing competition, a new building to update and transform the Anderson educational experience is the highest fundraising priority of our $300 million Into the Next campaign.

The goal? Quite simply, to enable Anderson students and faculty to learn, work and think “in the next.”

In October, UCLA Anderson broke ground on a beautiful, modern structure that will be named for a member of our namesake family and one of the school’s most generous benefactors, the late Marion Anderson. The 64,000-square-foot building will occupy the space just east of our 1995 complex, creating a new “front door” for the school and an impressive entrance to north campus.

“Marion realized we were capped,” Dean Judy Olian said of the limits of a physical plant designed for far fewer students and dating to a time when business schools granted a single advanced degree. “We were capped in terms of the impact we could have and the opportunities we could provide.”

Marion Anderson, with her husband John E. Anderson (B.S. ’40), donated generously over many years to the school named in their honor — not least, Mrs. Anderson’s transformative $100 million gift in May 2015. That unprecedented gift is funding research and fellowships, with $40 million earmarked for the state-of-the-art building that bears her name.

The new space is greatly needed. When the current facility opened 23 years ago, UCLA Anderson had three degree-granting programs. Now there are eight, including two in-demand, data-focused master’s programs added in the past three years. The school’s academic centers have also multiplied, from three a dozen years ago to the current eight, with a ninth on the way. And it now boasts three career centers instead of one, to serve a student population that is 64 percent larger than it was in 1995.

The new building, with features and design carefully planned to foster community and collaboration, will play a crucial role in keeping UCLA Anderson student-centric, innovative and cutting-edge for years to come. Victoria Lew (FEMBA ’19) said of the new building, “It will allow us to succeed by having the creative space to work together.”

Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank Reminds UCLA Anderson Students That Change Is Inevitable, Asks "Are You in Front of the Change You Have to Accept?"

By Paul Feinberg

One of the few things that could get you fired at Under Armour, company founder and CEO Kevin Plank told a UCLA Anderson audience this week, is this statement, which betrays a recalcitrant mindset:  “That’s the way we’ve always done it.”

Companies like his must anticipate and adapt to the accelerating shifts of the marketplace, Plank said during his on-stage conversation with Dean Judy Olian in the latest edition of the Dean’s Distinguished Speaker Series. Other recent speakers have included Nestle Executive Vice President Chris Johnson (’88) and United Therapeutics Chairman Martine Rothblatt (JD/MBA ’81).

“Business is a journey…(with) so many different chapters,” Plank told an enthusiastic crowd in Korn Hall. For example, he said, in its first five years, Under Armour’s revenues soared from $17,000 to $5 million. “We crossed a billion in 2010 and last year, $5 billion. Each chapter is incredibly different….(but) change is inevitable.

“Are you in front of the change you have to accept?” he asked.

Plank’s appearance was his second before an Anderson crowd in seven months.

In October, the Under Armour executive was honored as the 2017 recipient of the John Wooden Global Leadership Award in a ceremony in Pauley Pavilion. Plank and his company also have a close relationship with the broader UCLA campus:  Last July, Under Armour and UCLA announced a 15-year, $280 million shoe and apparel sponsorship, the largest such deal in collegiate athletics.

UCLA Anderson Launches New Online Journal Spotlighting Current Research

Across disciplines, UCLA Anderson’s faculty enhance the school’s relevance through cutting-edge research that is highly applicable to the economy, business and the wider world. The weekly UCLA Anderson Review chronicles for a broader audience the research our faculty publish in leading academic journals.

UCLA Anderson Review launched with articles examining retirement savings, including Americans’ aversion to annuities and the hot topic of decumulation — illustrating how, under a single roof at Anderson, faculty members are individually and collectively expanding understanding of how to solve one of the country’s biggest financial and societal problems.

The Review joins other leading graduate business school publications in making available to a global audience of business leaders, fellow academic researchers, policymakers and others the substantial intellectual capital UCLA Anderson possesses and adds to each day.

Peter Guber Writes a New Chapter: UCLA Medal Recipient

Peter Guber, UCLA Anderson Dean Judy Olian, UCLA Chancellor Gene Block, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Dean Teri Schwartz

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By Paul Feinberg

Peter Guber’s story details an eclectic and extraordinarily successful and impactful life. He is a renowned award-winning entertainment industry executive who currently serves as chairman and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment Group, as an owner of traditional sports teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and the world champion Golden State Warriors, not to mention Team Liquid, a franchise in the emerging world of e-sports. He has taught generations of UCLA students at UCLA Anderson School of Management and at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television, and he was recently named a regent of the University of California.

But above all, Guber is a storyteller.

He believes deeply that powerful narrative is the driving force of success, whether that success manifests as a great film, a championship season or fulfilling career. Now, Guber’s personal narrative features a new chapter as he becomes a recipient of the UCLA Medal.

The UCLA Medal, established in 1979, is the highest honor for extraordinary accomplishment that may be bestowed upon an individual by the university. Previous recipients include national and international leaders in government, education, science, industry and the arts, as well as men and women who have helped UCLA become one of the world’s preeminent universities. Earlier honorees include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (B.A. ’69), Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun, Blackrock Founder and CEO Larry Fink (B.A., ’74, ’76), civil rights icon and U.S. Rep. John Lewis, former Czech President Vaclav Havel and many others.

The ceremony held in Guber’s honor took place at the on-campus home of UCLA Chancellor Gene Block, who hosted a gathering of Guber’s friends and family, along with university guests that included three UC Regents and members of the UCLA Anderson and TFT communities. Guber maintains a close relationship with both schools, and is a board member of Anderson’s Center for Management of Enterprise in Media, Entertainment & Sports. He also co-teaches a popular annual leadership course with UCLA Anderson Dean Judy Olian.

“Peter is as passionate about his teaching as he is every other aspect of his career,” Block said in presenting Guber with the medal. “It’s clear that he values the opportunity to contribute and prepare the next generation for success, whether it’s in entertainment, sports or any number of other industries. His commitment is evident in the fact that, despite all he’s worked on throughout his career, Peter has never — to anyone’s knowledge — missed a year of teaching.”

Block also noted that Guber has served as a member of the UCLA Foundation Board of Trustees. “We all thank you tonight, Peter, for playing such a vital role here at UCLA and with the UC; we are deeply grateful for all you have done for UCLA, UC and beyond,” the chancellor said.

During his remarks, Guber said he was honored to teach and mentor UCLA students. “To be able to help students is a gift. The way they learn, the way they ask questions. When you see how you can touch people, it can change your life, he said.

“I dedicate myself to the years ahead to do even better.”

“Peter Guber is extraordinarily deserving of the UCLA Medal, the most prestigious honor our university bestows,” Olian said. “Peter has been a trailblazer in entertainment, sports and business, with a string of successes that few achieve in one, let alone multiple fields. Remarkably, throughout his very hectic professional career, he has always taught at UCLA. With his hunger for lifelong  learning, his intellectual curiosity, broad knowledge of business and entertainment, and infectious enthusiasm, he has impacted generations of young people. We are so lucky that Peter's passion for education has been directed toward UCLA, and I am thrilled that he is being recognized with this special honor."

UCLA Ziman Center's Richard S. Ziman: "To Succeed in Life is about Making a Difference"

 

Real estate investor, corporate executive and philanthropist Richard S. Ziman doesn’t hesitate when asked why he has contributed so much time, energy, leadership and financial support to the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

“To succeed in life is not just about having the biggest and most successful business endeavors,” Ziman said recently while standing outside the real estate center that bears his name. “To succeed in life is about making a difference, whether it’s in business or in philanthropy, and especially in education.”

Indeed, for almost 50 years, philanthropy has been a big part of Ziman’s life. “I started giving back through involvement and then financially, even before I could afford to,” he said, “because making a difference is as important to me as my job.” He turned his attention to UCLA Anderson School of Management in the 1990s. After being approached by John Anderson (with help from fellow real estate leaders Gene Rosenfeld and John Long), he established and endowed the UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate at the Anderson Graduate School of Management in 2001. He now serves on both the Ziman Center’s and UCLA Anderson’s boards of advisors.

Exclusive: Under Armour Founder/CEO Kevin Plank Talks Leadership

Kevin Plank, founder and CEO of Under Armour, recently traveled to Los Angeles and the UCLA campus where UCLA Anderson presented him with the 2017 John Wooden Global Leadership Award. After the event, held in Pauley Pavilion, Plank sat down with the UCLA Anderson Blog team to talk about leadership, Under Armour, and his role models. (This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.)

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Q: In terms of your leadership style, what was the transition like, in going from entrepreneur and head of a small start-up to manager of a global company?

Number one, I feel like Under Armor is entering Chapter Three of our business. Chapter One was grandma’s basement — just fighting to survive — and Chapter Two was (when) we moved the company to Baltimore, (where) we tried to build a global company, and really worked on being a global brand. Chapter Three moves us to where we are a corporation and you lose the agility that you have as a small company, particularly a small company led by an entrepreneur.

As a small company, I’d see, or we’d smell, problems and I’d be able to have myself or my executive team jump on something and spend time on it. We could work 23 hours in a day, get it fixed and move on. Now the company is just bigger. It doesn’t mean you lose a sense of urgency, but you lose the ability to make as quick of an impact as you’d like. It just takes time, because the only way to get anything done, is by leaning on what I brag so often about, our team, and it has to be that way. I like to say that good leaders have good ideas, great leaders have great ideas and make others think of their own.

How do we position people with the right ideas, but also empower them to actually be able to make a change and create difference? We are a corporation with an entrepreneurial basis, foundation and culture. Hopefully, we can be the best of those two things, because I think every big company is trying to get small, and every small company is trying to get big. I just want to be a great company. 

Q: How would you describe your leadership style but also, if we were to ask your employees, how would they describe your leadership style? 

You’ve got to be careful, because sometimes your whisper can be a roar in an organization. But asked how they would define me, hopefully they’d say I was empowering. I’m not just saying, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll sit here and figure it out together.’ What you’re truly saying is that I’m just going to define for you what I think success is. And then — if that means meeting in Los Angeles on a Wednesday — I’m not going to tell you how to get there. Whether it’s a train, a plane an automobile or whatever you choose to do, you just have to be there at this time. And that’s the difference between running a larger organization verses a smaller organization.

UCLA Anderson Celebrates the Life and Legacy of a Coaching Legend, Honors Under Armour’s Kevin Plank with Annual John Wooden Global Leadership Award

By Carolyn Gray Anderson and Paul Feinberg

On Monday, November 13, 2017, UCLA Anderson recognized Kevin Plank, founder, CEO and chairman of Fortune 500 athletic apparel company Under Armour, with the John Wooden Global Leadership Award. Fittingly, on its 10th anniversary, the ceremony took place in historic Pauley Pavilion, where Coach Wooden brought the UCLA men’s basketball team to many of his 10 championships between 1964 and 1975.

UCLA Anderson Dean Judy Olian introduced Plank by saying, “Kevin Plank was daring enough to challenge an industry, with a vision to build a sportswear company that enables athletes to perform better. He’s not just an enormously successful entrepreneur. Taking a page out of Coach Wooden’s playbook, he’s a leader who seeks to empower men and women around the world to follow their dreams and excel as confident, passionate competitors.” Plank received the award in recognition of his ethical business leadership, philanthropic activities and commitment to community.

2017 John Wooden Global Leadership Award Honors Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank

In partnership with the late Coach John Wooden’s family, UCLA Anderson honors one exceptional leader each year with a prestigious award for exemplary leadership and service to the community. On November 13, 2017, the 10th anniversary John Wooden Global Leadership Award will be given to Kevin A. Plank, founder, CEO and chairman of performance apparel, footwear and equipment company Under Armour.

Changing the Rules of Inclusion: John Wooden Global Leadership Fellow Anna Goldberg

By Carly Milne

Growing up, Anna Goldberg (’18) often heard her parents say, “Fair is not the same.” As she grew to adulthood, the phrase became a driving force behind her efforts to push for greater equality and equity across society.

“I want to build meaningful relationships that cultivate cultures and systems where everyone can flourish,” says Goldberg, who is the president of Anderson’s Women’s Business Connection. “I will always strive to create more equity for others; but being a white person with privilege, you can create access more easily than others who haven’t had that privilege.”

As one of four UCLA Anderson students awarded a 2017 John Wooden Global Leadership Fellowship, it may come as no surprise that Goldberg comes from a line of social activists. Her grandfather, for example, protested alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and was arrested with him. Like the civil rights leader, Goldberg’s grandfather died too young, but his influence on her family remained; when she was just 14, she traveled to Uganda with her mother and grandmother to volunteer for several weeks at a Jewish community village.

Microsoft Chairman John W. Thompson Talks Tech Trends, Business Strategy, More

“I don’t think anybody knows what the industry will look like in five years because every eight or ten years there’s an inflection point,” John W. Thompson, chairman of Microsoft Corporation, said when asked how the company’s business will evolve in the next few years. “There’s a pattern of change and it’s difficult to predict.”

Thompson, a Silicon Valley icon who succeeded Bill Gates as chairman of Microsoft in 2014, joined UCLA Anderson Dean Judy Olian in a wide-ranging conversation Monday before a capacity crowd in Anderson’s Korn Convocation Hall. The event was part of the school’s Robertson Lecture Series on Global Business Leadership, which provides students, staff, faculty and others the opportunity to hear top business leaders discuss issues that affect global business and the political economy. The lecture series is made possible by Chip Robertson (FEMBA ’06) and his family in conjunction with UCLA Anderson's Center for Global Management.

With Olian guiding the hour-long conversation, Thompson touched on a variety of topics. While declining to predict what Microsoft will be like in five years, he did say the company would be guided by three core principles. First, he said, the company would focus on personal computing with a goal of making it easier for people to interact with technology. Second, Microsoft will look to help users become more productive through business enterprise software such as Office and Word. It’s in this realm that Thompson believes many users will feel the effects of machine learning and artificial intelligence.

“The third one is obviously the cloud,” Thompson said, noting that in 2014 Microsoft pivoted from protecting its Windows operating system and began shifting emphasis towards the cloud.