The Touch MBA Admissions Podcast

Prof. Randall S Peterson discusses successful MBA students, leadership development, and building high-performing teams. Topics include key traits for success, adapting personal characteristics for leadership, managing diverse teams, and the dynamics of study groups in an MBA program.

What do you need to know about MBA recruiting for top media and entertainment companies? Darren invites his good friend Mark Zee, UCLA Anderson MBA '14, to share his experience interviewing and working for companies like 20th Century Fox and the Walt Disney Company, where he is currently Director for Pay TV & Digital Sales. Mark also shares his thoughts on building relationships during and after the MBA. This is Part 7 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here. Questions Common entry points for MBA grads in the entertainment industry (5:21) The entertainment industry is in flux (8:46) How Mark landed his internship with Fox (11:00) The importance of location in industry recruiting (19:08) How Mark landed his post-MBA job with Disney (20:10) Interviews (38:32) Mark's recommended resources (41:42) What do applicants need to know about succeeding in industry (44:21) Mark's reflections on his promotion at Disney (46:43) Mark's thoughts on the future of the entertainment industry (52:16) About Our Guest Mark Zee is Director of Pay TV & Digital Sales at The Walt Disney Studios. He joined the company after graduating from UCLA Anderson in 2014. In his current role, he negotiates distribution deals with digital platforms and MVPDs (e.g. iTunes, Comcast); develops new business opportunities (e.g. Movies Anywhere, VR); and provides strategic insights to senior leadership. Previously, he worked on the International Digital Distribution team. His responsibilities cover Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, and ABC Studios. While pursuing his MBA, Zee completed a year-long internship in digital strategy and sales operations at 20th Century Fox International Theatrical. Prior to business school, he worked in investment management in Houston, Texas and starred in over a dozen television series in Asia. Zee received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University.  As a Chinese-American-Brazilian, he enjoys food, sports, and dancing with his hips. Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/mba-careers-media-entertainment Episode Sponsor At MPOWER we believe that helping to turn the dreams of future global leaders and innovators into reality is of utmost priority. Therefore we offer international MBA students flexible financing for their education in the US, without requiring co-signers or collateral. What matters most is their future potential. Visit mpowerfinancing.com/borrow-touchmba for more information. MPOWER Financing, DC consumer lending license: ML9261, Public Benefit Corporation

Learn how MBA applicants can showcase quantitative skills beyond GPA and GMAT scores. Admissions directors from top business schools discuss the acceptance of online courses like Coursera. Hear insights from Eddie Asbie, Paola Eicher, and Christina Mou. Strategies include leveraging work experience, recommendations, and online courses to enhance quant skills for successful applications.

Learn how to ace your MBA interviews with a simple 3-part framework inspired by effective public speaking principles. Explore crafting engaging content, transitioning to a collaborative producer mindset, and elevating your speaking with genuine enthusiasm. Get tips on selecting interview content based on personal excitement and relevance, with a focus on defending viewpoints with conviction and engaging the audience effectively.

What do you need to know about MBA recruiting for top Consumer Package Goods (CPG) companies? Darren invites Ana Archbold, Michigan Ross MBA '07, to share her experience working for companies like Kraft Foods, Unilever, and Johnson & Johnson, where she is currently a Senior Marketing Director for Neutrogena. Darren and Ana pay special attention to the recruiting process and what applicants can do to maximize their chances of landing internships and jobs. Ana also shares her thoughts on working internationally after getting a top US MBA. This is Part 6 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here. Questions Ana's background (2:54 ) The importance of internships (5:48) Ana's tips to applicants on how they can get a leg up (9:16) What are top CPG companies looking for in hires? (16:24) The recruiting process (21:15) How important is prior industry experience? (25:20) Interviews (27:08) How interns are evaluated for full-time offers (30:15) Ana's advice to international students applying for US jobs & internships (37:09) How Ana landed a senior marketing role abroad in the UK (43:20) Ana's final advice to applicants (46:55) About Our Guest Ana Archbold got her MBA from Michigan Ross in 2007 and is currently a Senior Global Marketing Manager for Neutrogena, a Johnson & Johnson brand, in New York City. Previously, she worked as a Global Brand Manager, doing Strategy & Innovation for Unilever in London. Ana has over 15 years of experience in the marketing and brand management. Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/mba-careers-consumer-package-goods

What do MBA applicants need to know about MBA careers in brand management? Darren invites Michael Schwartz, NYU Stern MBA '16, to share his experience working as a marketing and brand manager at companies like Philips, Unilever and Heineken. Michael has worked in marketing and brand management for 10 years – don’t miss his hard-earned insights into the industry! This is Part 5 of our MBA Career Series. Looking for more career-related podcasts? Click here. Questions Michael's background (2:30 ) What do brand managers do? (8:54) Common entry points for MBAs into brand management and industry trends (12:04) Why Michael pursued an MBA despite wanting to stay in brand management (14:36) Misconceptions about brand management (24:06) Traits of successful brand managers (25:16) Best part of job? Worst part of job? (29:15) Michael's recommended resources (34:00) Michael's thoughts on the value of a part-time MBA (38:10) About Our Guest After graduating from Baruch College with a degree in Marketing Management, Michael Schwartz has worked in Marketing and Brand Management roles for Philips, Unilever and Heineken. Michael graduated from NYU Stern's Part-time MBA program in 2016. Currently he is a Brand Director for Amstel at Heineken in New York City. Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/mba-careers-brand-management

Massine Bouzerar, a 25-year old Canadian, was backpacking through Myanmar in July when he realized he wanted to start his MBA asap. First round deadlines were looming in September. Within 3 months he wrote the GMAT and submitted a successful application to Insead. What should you do when your back is against the wall? Massine shares his experience and what he did to get accepted to one of the world’s top MBA programs: Insead. About Our Guest Massine Bouzerar worked as a product manager for two leading Canadian telecommunication companies before starting his current role as a Manager for E-Commerce Strategy at Ecobee. Massine graduated from Brock University where he majored in Finance. He’ll start at Insead in Fall 2018. Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/how-i-got-into-insead

Sachin Tipnis from the University of Hong Kong discusses what makes the HKU MBA unique, the school's admissions process and career opportunities for HKU MBAs. Program Highlights (5:15) | Admissions (26:00) | Scholarships (38:36) | Careers (44:27) HKU MBA Highlights (last updated Jan 2018) 14-months, Fall intake, ~60 students/year Typical Class: 5 years work exp / 15 nationalities / 660 GMAT Has 3 tracks: the London track, the New York track, and the Hong Kong/China track. After finishing 9 months of core courses at HKU, students can study at Columbia University in New York, London Business School in London, or Sudan University in Shanghai for one semester Graduates get a 1-year visa to stay in Hong Kong and find a job post-graduation Placement, Class of 2015 & 2016: 85% w/job offers w/in 3 months, $77,265 USD avg starting salary Top Destinations, Class of 2015 & 2016: 48% Hong Kong / 24% Mainland China / 7% India / 7% Europe / 7% other Asia Top Industries, Class of 2015 & 2016: 32% Banking, Finance, Accounting, Insurance  / 29% Consulting, Advisory Services / 19% Consumer Products & Services / 9% IT, Telecoms Ranked #1 Asian Business School by Economist for 6 straight years About Our Guest Sachin Tipnis is the Executive Director of MBA Programmes at the University of Hong Kong. Sachin was part of HKU's first graduating MBA class and has worked for over a decade developing the HKU MBA. Sachin worked in branding and marketing communications for 7 years before working in higher education. Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/hku-mba-program-admissions-update

Eddie Asbie from Cornell University's Johnson School of Management discusses unique features of the Cornell MBA, admissions process, scholarships, and career opportunities. Topics include program highlights, admissions tips, financing options, career paths, and the power of the Cornell alumni network.

When should you use an MBA admissions consultant? How can you get the most value? What should you look for when hiring one? As a former MBA Admissions Director and Admissions Consultant, Darren shares his thoughts. Questions  Why are MBA Admissions Consultants so expensive? Are they worth the fees? (6:25) Should you hire an MBA Admissions Consultant? Which service should you get? How can you get the most value? (13:10) What you should look for from an Admissions Consultant? (19:43) Questions to ask an MBA admissions consultant (21:12) A framework to help you make the decision (22:15) Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/should-you-hire-an-mba-admissions-consultant Episode Sponsor The IESE MBA in Barcelona is consistently ranked Top 15 worldwide by the Financial Times. Do you want to challenge yourself and take your career to the next level? IESE’s full time MBA program will transform your capacity to think strategically, explore new perspectives and be a leader in today’s global world. The IESE MBA: Give us 19 months and we give you a lifetime of impact. Get informal feedback on your profile at mba.iese.edu or visit us on campus at our Open Days.