UCLA Flashcards

1
Q

AMR

A

Applied Mgmt Research:

  • Experiential learning
  • 5-person team: 20 wks
  • Mgmt Field Study vs. Biz Creation Option (BCO) vs. “Special Project Option” (?)
  • Traditional=consulting: biz plans, pricing strategies & marketing campaigns, risk assessment, new product development
  • BCO: launch ventures while still in school
  • 2Y: Fall + Winter qtr, or Winter + Spring
  • Camaraderie
  • 2013-14: 18 int’l, 14 BCOs
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2
Q

Clubs

A
  1. Entrepreneurship Association (EA). Largest student org, 150 events, close ties w/the Price Center for E, E in Residence, connections w/Westwood Venture Alliance (other grad pgms)
  2. High Tech Business Association (HTBA). Tech Treks, Career Nights, LA=access to a top tech city, leverage my networks to provide oppys for HTBA students.
  3. Anderson Veterans Association (AVA). Give back.
  4. Net Impact Club: Mondays at the Mission (Union Rescue Mission)
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3
Q

Short term: management consulting

A

3 things:

  1. About becoming more comprehensive & complete; applying the strategic lessons & mgmt skills from Anderson
  2. Will thrive; AV units at home & abroad, developed passion for solving complex operational probs in ambiguous situations:
    - Didn’t just fix probs; changed the way we did biz
  3. Prep for entrepreneurship:
    - Exposure=perspective, prob-solving skills, landscape
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4
Q

Curriculum

A
  • Quarter system: 3x 10-wk quarters
  • 375 students: 5 sections of 75
  • Tracks: Consulting, Finance, Marketing, Custom
  • Specializations: Custom Track requires 2:Easton TL, Entrepreneurship
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5
Q

Classes

A
  • Entrepreneurship and Venture Initiation (MGT 295A): good intro to entrepreneurship (spring 1Y or fall 2Y)
  • Thinking on Your Feet (MGT 250D)
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6
Q

Insight

A
  1. Insight:
    - Tech solutions provider=multiple tech functions, partners
    - Consulting + tech svcs to HW, SW
    - B2B, F1000 space
  2. Apple PM: manage $80M Apple biz:
    - Mktg, Sales, Ops, Finance/Accting, Tng, Biz Dev
    - Manage Insight-Apple relationship
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7
Q

Long term goal

A
  • Leverage gen mgmt skills from UCLA + consulting exp
  • Build a wearable tech company
  • Not fitness, but health.
  • Aggregate broad set of data (biometrics, environment, social cues, diet)
  • Improve lives: battle addiction, manage disease
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8
Q

Pedagogy

A
  • Case: 30%
  • Lecture: 40%
  • Experiential: 12%
  • Simulations: 3%
  • Team projects: 15%
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9
Q

Hobbies

A
  • Adventure/endurance racing (Rim to Rim)
  • Reading (“What the Dog Saw” by Gladwell)
  • Private aviation
  • IM sports in PHX
  • Volunteering w/United Food Bank + WWP
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10
Q

Programs

A
  1. Easton Technology Leadership Program:
    - Move Out track (tech entre)
    - Mgmt skills for diverse tech settings (startup-big)
    - Industry Mentors (IBM, Qualcomm, NBC)
    - Beyond classes: workshops, enrichment, events
    - My ldrship + tech background=strong candidate
  2. Tech & Innovation Partners Program:
    - Discover the commercial potential of ideas
    - Maybe not my biz plan, but work on a project to understand the process
    - Collaborate, network, and understand the processes behind venture development
  3. AMR
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11
Q

Questions

A
  1. AMR: “Special Project Option”?
  2. Something about Anderson that you can’t find on a blog or webpage that is particularly interesting/exciting?
  3. What do you consider to be Anderson’s strongest quality or asset?
  4. What advice would you give to someone starting at Anderson?
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12
Q

Why UCLA?

A
  1. Technology + Entre spirit:
    - Embodied in “Think in the Next” slogan
    - Energy & ecosystem here
    - Entrepreneurship track
    - Easton Tech Ldrship Program: my ldrship + tech + my goals = ideal next step in my journey
    - EA
    - Tech & Innovation Partners Program
    - On-campus Tech Incubator at Cal Nanosystems Institutue (CNSI)
  2. AMR:
    - Unique to Anderson
    - Help me: Traditional (consulting), Biz Creation Option (entre)
  3. Location: LA: not only culture+activity, also top 5 tech city US
  4. Culture: Awesome experiences w/students:
    - Strong relationships
    - Believe in surrounding myself w/good people, as good has always come from it.
    - Thru Anderson, not only meet good people, but connect w/other great people.
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12
Q

Greatest Leadership Challenge / Experience

A

S: OEF mission: summer 2008 - 1st deployment, new to SpecOps, 1st combat msn:
T: Air Cdr: 4x aircraft, 30x crew, 100 Rangers
-Infil/exfil under darkness
-Get everyone home safe
-Shots fired, can’t make planned HLZ, darkness running out
A: Alt exfil plan:
-Daylight=shoot downs
-Worked Intel to find alt sites: 1) Safe for pax, 2) Safe for helos, 3) **Pre-daylight
R: Safe exfil:
-Everyone home safely
-Technical competence=confidence of team, GF
-Personal confidence for 5 deployments, 200+ combat missions, lead on trips in 6 diff countries

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13
Q

Why UCLA?

A
  1. Technology + Entrepre: “Think in the Next”
    - Tech Entrepreneurship track
    - Easton Tech Ldrship Program: my ldrship b/g + tech and my goals, this is the ideal next step in my development
    - Tech & Innovation Partners Program
    - EA
  2. AMR: Traditional (consulting), Biz Creation Option (entre development)
  3. Location: LA = top 5 tech city US
  4. People: awesome experiences w/students
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13
Q

Strengths

A
  1. Team building/relationships:
    - Self-aware, understand people
    - Construct strong, x-fnct teams
    - EX: NSIT: from family events to client events
  2. Versatility/adaptability:
    - Comfortable in ambiguity
    - Led in SpecOps, now in tech
  3. Organization/planning:
    - Extremely organized
    - Structuring teams and creating realistic, supportable plans
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14
Q

Weaknesses

A
  1. Meticulous=lost time.
    - Don’t let perfect get in the way of the good.
  2. As leader, need to let others find their own success:
    - EX: Withers.
    - PID, adapting
  3. Technical abilities.
    - EX: goals in tech; limited tech b/g.
    - Taking cert courses.
15
Q

Greatest Accomplishment (Personal)

A

S: Pres and Finance Officer of a community outreach program in Hondo
T: Started w/5, ended w/30
A1: From Xmas parties to big brother/big sisters programs
A2: Raised nearly $15K over 2 yrs
R1: Impacted the lives of these children
R2: Set the stage for me for future volunteer events/magnitude

16
Q

Leadership Style

A

Participative/democratic leadership:

  • Buy-in, cohesion, diff perspectives, morale
  • Discussion=better ideas
  • Leigh Thompson (Kellogg - “Creative Conspiracy”) ideas
  • Army: flew by committee
  • NSIT: marketing strategy
17
Q

Creative Solution

A

S: tng ex in Asia; HN won’t allow SOF to fly at nightT: find a way to fly at night or otherwise have to cancel an already-in-motion $4M exA: 1) con call w/GF and USN ship; 2) met w/leads for white board sesh; 3) intel/map analysis; 4) plan to leave shore at dusk and op each nightR: 1) approved around; 2) msn success; 3) high-level msn w/lots of great visibility

18
Q

Challenging Project

A

S: Project manager for base development in OEF
T: Conduct infrastructure assessment, resource, and prep new base for our TF in Afg
-Never been to this place
-2nd deployment
-Under constant attack
A1: Handpicked x-fnct team
A2: Created project plan + timeline
A3: Launched
R1: Built, refined, occupied base
R2: Launched our largest, longest opn to date
R3: Still used today

19
Q

Neg Feedback from Boss

A
S: Lead pilot on event & missed the HLZ w/SEAL team; lead instructor lost it
T: Fix the situation
A1: Analyzed what went wrong
A2: Uncovered grid formatting error
A3: Advised instructor
A4: Something new; integrated into SOP
R1: Improved our process & SOPs
R2: Process inspired confidence of my leadership and peers
20
Q

Great uncertainty while leading a team?

A

S: Quick response mission w/o RATELO
T: Insert troops into hostile area w/o comms:
-Not good, but timing was key
A1: Refreshed everyone on contingency SOPs
A2: Created backup plans w/flares & smoke
A3: Open team comms to ensure all bases covered
R1: Inserted team
R2: Mission success
R3: Huge confidence booster in team, self

21
Q

REAPPLICANT

A
  1. More quant/analytics:
    - Chose PM b/c comprehensive: MSOFT
    - CC classes: Business Stats, Accting
    - Continuing Ed at Insight (Advanced Excel, Finance, Reporting)
    - Projects
  2. More well-rounded in mgmt:
    - Biz vs. Army: comms, negotiation
    - Leverage/converted my skills to civ world: volunteer/social coordinator
  3. Narrowed focus:
    - Tech exp = wearables
    - Apple exp = ideas
    - Differentiator: not fitness; help people battle illness, addiction
  4. Realize why UCLA is even more relevant for me:
    - Tech+entrepreneurship strengths
    - Easton Tech Leadership Program
    - Tech & Innovation Partners Program
    - Entrepreneurship Association
    - Los Angeles
22
Q

3 words that describe me

A

Honest, Charismatic, Hard Working

23
Q

How do you function in a team setting?

A
  1. Pref for working in teams:
    - Sports to SpecOps
  2. Key is awareness of self & team:
    - Strengths and weaknesses
    - When to lead vs. when to empower others
  3. Other keys:
    - Active communication, collaboration
  4. EX: FE12: Project Mgr for int’l ex:
    - Led 50 pax, 3 acft
    - Open, honest feedback + comms
24
Q

How do you function in a team setting?

A
  1. Pref for working in teams:
    - Sports to SpecOps to NSIT
  2. Key is awareness of self & team:
    - Strengths and weaknesses
    - When to lead vs. when to empower others
  3. Other keys:
    - Effective comms, collaboration, clear goals
  4. EX: FE12: Project Mgr for int’l ex:
    - Led 50 pax, 3 acft
    - Open, honest feedback + comms
25
Q

What do you think about your employers most recent evaluation? What would you improve?

A
  • 80-90th percentile
  • Fair: still new
  • Self-aware, actively solicit feedback=no surprises
  • Always learning and developing
26
Q

Tell me about yourself.

A
  • Close knit fam + small town in NorCal
  • UCD on ROTC scholarship
  • Aviator: 9 yrs AD
  • Majority in SpecOps: “guys on the OBL msn”
  • 5 combat deployments
  • Multiple disaster relief missions
  • From Supervisor and Mx mgr to Strategic project mgmt for SpecOps msns
  • Entrepreneurial goals in fitness: Army=projects, leadership, creativity=confidence
  • Left to pursue these dreams
  • Tech job to increase understanding + biz
  • UCLA’s strength in tech+entre are key to my success
27
Q

Past conflict - how did you solve it?

A

S: Project Mgr for tng ex in Korea; Pilots vs. Staff
-Conflicts leading up to event
-SpecOps pilots=super Alpha males
T: Improve cohesion across 50 pax Task Force
-Unique oppy as leader b/c I had both pilot+staff exp
A1: Listed out our collective priorities
A2: Gathered stakeholders
A3: Open comms to assess & compromise
A4: Nested sub-priorities into larger
A5: Enforced team-centric culture
R1: Phenomenal exercise, truly successful
R2: Cited by all as one of the most cohesive teams they’d been a part of in their careers - “first time I truly felt like a “NightStalker”

28
Q

Greatest leadership experience 2 / Time you led/built a team

A

S: Handpicked to be mgr of Army’s newest SpecOps helicopter company.
T: from 10 guys, 0 helps to 60 guys, 8 helos and combat-ready in a year
A1: Project plan: realistic, supportable
A2: Build the right team:
-Human element is most important
-Survival req collectively-minded, character driven teams w/a commitment to shared values
-From BBQs to rigorous tng=bonds
R1: one of the strongest teams I’ve ever built
R2: deployed nearly 2 mo ahead of sched (went on to be one of the most successful SOA companies in GWOT)

29
Q

Plan B if not consulting or not wearables.

A
  • Not consulting = mgmt in a tech startup. Developmental opp.
  • Not wearables=mgmt in a tech company (e.g. VMWare, Apple)
30
Q

Failure

A

S: Flt school Helo crash on day 3; nearly died
T: Resolved to keep going thru flight training
A1: Find the courage.
A2: Technical aptitude.
R1: TA=SME. Led teams in war; my knowledge was a bedrock in the worst of times.
R2: Courage=character + dedication. Pilot was lifelong dream; no fear or setbacks deter me. This resilience=success before, will help achieve success later. Also use these lessons to help my teammates.

31
Q

How will you contribute?

A
  1. Tech + entrepreneurship
  2. Clubs: EA, HTBA, AVA, Net Impact
  3. Biz idea may actually be a great AMR project
  4. Leverage tech relationships to build out networking/learning opps thru clubs
32
Q

What do you bring to the class?

A
  1. Unique experiences/perspective:
    - War in Afg to disaster relief in CA
    - Travel
    - Military & business
  2. Unique leadership:
    - Not just military: helo aviation
    - Not just military: SpecOps
    - Now tech+biz exp.
  3. Team building:
    - From Team Captain of sports to flying by committee in SpecOps to forging one of the strongest teams at a F500 company
33
Q

Accomplishments at Insight

A
  1. Improved biz acumen
  2. Pricing+incentive strategy that increased qtryly rev by $2.6M
  3. Audited budget: reduced qtrly expenses by 12%
  4. Accting initiative that reduced exposure by $80K annually
34
Q

Volunteer work

A
Orphanage: 2005-2006
TNT: 2011: $2,550
WWP: 2012: $1,550
Insight Supports Our Heroes: 2013 1/2 ton, $4,000
UFB: 2014
36
Q

Why MBA? Why now?

A

“Improved technical acumen and help increase the velocity toward my entrepreneurial goals”:

  1. Help me become more grounded & comprehensive in my knowledge of general business principles:
    - Not just concepts; approach (e.g. McAdams’ game theory).
  2. Concentration of Resources: Academic centers (CEI)