Center for Global Management

The Center for Global Management (CGM) hosted the second discussion of the academic year in its Global Management Speaker Series, supported by the Class of 2022.  Steve Totzke, president and chief commercial officer, Mattel, Inc. joined CGM faculty director, Chris Tang, distinguished professor and Edward W. Carter Chair in Business Administration for a fascinating moderated conversation. Totzke shared his thoughts on a variety of important global issues and trends, from physical toys to digital toys, from environmental to nearshoring, from selling to sourcing, and from product development to licensing. He discussed how he runs the Mattel global commercial organization in the midst of complex and changing economic, political and cultural environments in the United States and globally, and talked about some of the latest strategies in digital design and development, e-commerce, global product development, global supply chains, and leveraging IP in the digital world. He also addressed how he manages complex issues to drive global competitive advantage and shareholder value for the global toy company, with one of the strongest catalogues of children and family entertainment franchises in the world.

The CGM welcomed many members of the Class of 2022 back to their alma mater for an evening of discussion, networking and reconnecting. Current students from across all four MBA programs attended the evening that began with a networking reception and concluded with a networking dinner. The discussion was also broadcast live and attended by many UCLA Anderson alumni, current students and members of the broader UCLA and general communities. The Global Management Speaker Series, supported by the Class of 2022, engages thought leaders and the audience in timely conversations around global issues, opportunities and challenges. Through interactive and balanced dialogue,  the series provides students and alumni with global perspectives and insights on important topics, and prepares them to become successful leaders who can operate in a global context. The series was inspired by the resiliency of Anderson students who rose to the challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic and propelled communities and industries forward during the global shut down.

As the global economy was beginning to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia invaded the Ukraine and has been sanctioned from the West; relations between China and the U.S. have been deteriorating; and supply-chain shocks have roiled markets for food, energy and other commodities. Discussions on reshoring are on the minds of many business and political leaders. Is globalization over or is it merely changing shape?

The Center for Global Management (CGM) hosted its inaugural event of the new academic year focused on the question Is Globalization Passé? Global strategy expert Jim Moffatt (’87), former global CEO and vice chairman of Deloitte Consulting joined CGM faculty director, Chris Tang, distinguished professor and Edward W. Carter Chair in Business Administration, and Moffat’s former professor,  in a moderated discussion around the question. Moffatt addressed the major challenges firms face during this unsettling period and explored the implications of both sides of the debate. Is globalization as the world has experienced over the last three decades dead, as Blackrock’s Larry Fink suggested in a letter to shareholders earlier this year? Or, is globalization still alive and simply evolving into a new kind of globalization that is more about security than efficiency that could change the world economy for the better, keeping the benefits of openness while improving resilience?  The conversation focused on many issues, including the future of trade, supply chains, the energy crisis and global investment, and touched on many regions, including Europe, Asia and Latin America. Moffat shared his thoughts on areas with growth potential and how growth can be achieved. He also addressed the importance of a global management education at UCLA Anderson and reiterated how essential it is for organizations and leaders alike to have a global mindset. The conversation was part of the CGM’s World Today Discussion Series and the Global Management Speaker Series, supported by the Class of 2022. The CGM welcomed many members of the Class of 2022 back to their alma mater for an evening of discussion, networking and reconnecting. Current students from across all four MBA programs attended the evening that began with a networking reception and concluded with a networking dinner. The discussion was also broadcast live and attended by many UCLA Anderson alumni, current students and members of the broader UCLA and general communities. The World Today Discussion Series engages the audience in interactive and enriching conversations around current issues that transcend borders. UCLA and Anderson faculty, alumni, board members and thought leaders share their perspectives on the critical global topics and issues that matter to our community and the world. Through balanced discourse, the serves as a neutral forum to educate the community on global issues, while at the same time encouraging debate and examination.

As the world becomes increasingly connected to the internet, cybersecurity is becoming a critical issue that affects individuals, enterprises, and governments. Private data, intellectual property, cyber infrastructure, military and national security can be compromised by cybersecurity challenges that come in many forms such as ransomware, phishing attacks, malware attacks and more. UCLA Anderson, Tel Aviv University (TAU) and its Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center (ICRC) collaborated for a panel discussion that addressed the broad landscape of cybersecurity challenges that impact the consumer, enterprise and society in today's virtual world and reviewed the most common types of attacks. Moderated by Professor Terry Kramer, experts from Israel and the United States addressed the risks faced in the growing presence of connected devices, remote work, global supply chain, and the utilization of AI. Panelists shared their views on the most promising areas of cybersecurity solutions, corporate responsibility to drive cybersecurity, top technology-based solutions to enhance cybersecurity, as well as the role that entrepreneurial ventures and government play in ensuring cybersecurity. Panelists included: Professor Isaac Ben-Israel, director of the Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center; Jacob Mendel, senior lecturer and head of cybersecurity studies at TAU’s Coller School of Management; Zvi Feuer ('11), CEO, Siemens Industry Software Ltd, where he leads global teams and initiatives to develop and service customers worldwide; and Yuda Saydun ('82), founder and president, CyVent where he oversees the delivery of cutting-edge, AI-driven cybersecurity solutions that protect some of the world’s most sensitive operations. The discussion was a collaboration between UCLA Anderson’s Alumni Network, Easton Technology Management Center and Center for Global Management and Tel Aviv University (TAU) and its Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center.

Today's transformational COVID-19 vaccines have highlighted an important trend in healthcare – – the notable innovation occurring in biopharma, globally. These innovations offer the potential for significantly enhanced health outcomes with potentially broader affordability and access. The Center for Global Management and Easton Technology Management Center hosted a panel discussion with Mark Noguchi ('81), senior vice president and general manager business development, Chugai Pharmaceuticals; Greg Talbert, global head of digital and personalized health care partnering, Roche; and Stella Xu, managing director of Quan Capital. Panelists discussed the key enablers for this innovation, the role of data, changing business models, public policy and venture capital. The discussion, moderated by Terry Kramer, adjunct professor and faculty director of the Easton Technology Management Center, provided a fascinating look at the key innovators in this space and highlighted the value of innovation and the huge opportunity it has to change outcomes. The idea of personalization and integration of capabilities matters. Entrepreneurship matters too. The market is global and creates opportunities in best practices and development. The conversation also emphasized the importance of partnerships around the world, such as partnerships between tech companies and life sciences companies; governments and business; and also nations. Leadership also matters and as the industry continues to evolve, ethical considerations will be an extremely important part of using technology going forward. This is an exciting time for pharma. It is a very expansive area that is witnessing a convergence of all types of tech innovation that have a huge potential to change healthcare as we know it today. At Roche, Talbert leads a team responsible for the identification and execution of digital healthcare partnerships as part of the implementation of Roche’s personalized health care strategy. Prior to joining Chugai, Noguchi spent 33 years with the Roche Group. Xu is managing director of Quan Capital, a life science venture fund with deep expertise and broad experiences in cross-border value creation and global investments. Prior to Quan, she was site head of Roche R&D Center China and a core member of the global management team of Roche’s Immunology, Inflammation & Infectious Diseases. The discussion was a collaboration between the Center for Global Management and Easton Technology Management Center and drew a broad audience of UCLA students, alumni, faculty, staff and members of the extended UCLA community and general public.

A notable transformation is occurring in Shenzhen and Hong Kong. This technology driven transformation has been enabled by Government policy, changes in consumer preferences and enterprise driven innovation. The Center for Global Management’s recent technology-focused global immersion course, led by Terry Kramer, adjunct professor and faculty director for the Easton Technology Management Center helped students to understand the dynamic growth of Shenzhen juxtaposed against the historic prosperity of Hong Kong. And in the process of understanding these two fascinating success stories, the course uncovered the "cause-and-effect" relationship of government policy and the changes in consumer preferences and technology in driving unique outcomes. Visits such as those with Tencent/WeChat, Foxconn, DJI, Mindray and Royole as well as other emerging artificial intelligence and fintech companies were important in telling the story and helped illuminate the region’s political, economic, and innovation-oriented environment, and the significant changes that have occurred over the last several decades.

Following a networking reception in the Marion Anderson Courtyard, Professor Kramer moderated a conversation with technology-oriented students/alumni from the Class of 2019 who participated in the course. Morgan Greenwald, partner marketing manager at Microsoft in Bellevue, joined via Zoom web conference and together with Ryan Tan, vice president of M&A and corporate planning at StarHub Ltd. in Singapore and Richard Tran, consulting services consultant at Neustar, Inc. shared insights and lessons learned from visits to these leading technology companies which demonstrated the notable transformation in the region and for China more broadly in areas such fintech, high-tech smart manufacturing, social media and internet services. Panelists examined the possible wider implications regionally and globally as well as key lessons learned drawing upon contextual leadership—identifying the “cause and effect” of the successes in the region and the likely future outcomes and areas of innovation. Panelists also shared their views on the impact of technology and unique context of Shenzhen and Hong Kong, views about their own countries in relation to this transformation and the opportunities and challenges presented as well as their own leadership learnings.

Professor Kramer also shared his own observations with the packed executive dining room full of engaged and interested current students, alumni, faculty and special guests who were also able to engage in the conversation through the Slido audience interaction tool. His observations that arose from the course included the notable case of rising outcomes/reduction of poverty; leapfrog innovation that was evident everywhere (e.g. mobile payments); Chinese companies are expanding product/service offerings domestically (often greater than international expansion); the notable role of government in driving adoption (e.g. 5G) and winners/losers. The role of data is massive and it was clear that Chinese consumers are very willing to share data and try new services and “China is advancing faster in the data driven world, then the U.S., then India, and then Europe.” Kramer also shared interesting observations from the team projects that the students completed during the course. Student team project innovations almost exclusively focused on large company innovations (e.g. Tencent) and these innovations focused almost exclusively on the Chinese market. There were requirements for scale and lesser focus on international opportunities in the near team. The role of government was also key and there are clearly advanced forms of technology (e.g. virtual assistants utilizing AI) being developed. Students identified less concern on required quantity and availability of data and there will be future of work considerations for China (as well as U.S.) too. It was interesting that Hong Kong was neither identified as a location for development of innovation nor as a target market.

Given the overwhelming demand for the course and interest in the topic, the Center for Global Management will be running a similar course with Professor Kramer in winter/spring 2020. The discussion was a collaboration between the Center for Global Management and Easton Technology Management Center and the UCLA-NUS Executive MBA program.

In an era of COVID-19, the need for strategic agility and heightened scrutiny on continuity and safety has increased substantially. This has created a new sense of urgency for development of digital and remote solutions for both leaders and newcomers in the digital economy. These issues raise a fundamental question about company transformation, digitization, and the future of the technology industry. The Center for Global Management and Easton Technology Management Center hosted a conversation with Narry Singh, a seasoned Silicon Valley CEO, advisor and investor. Singh, who has over 25 years of experience in the mobile, digital media, e- commerce, and software industries addressed these issues in a fascinating dialogue, moderated by Terry Kramer, adjunct professor and faculty director of the Easton Technology Management Center. The conversation shed light on the importance of digital transformation and digital IQ. Singh explained that we are now in the second chapter of digital transformation and that digital is no longer an add-on: it should be a core part of any business. Successful strategies in ‘Chapter Two’ will require changes to organizational structures and mind-sets. Singh also touched on the digital divide, digital talent and leadership imperatives, as well as his own career path, transitioning from entrepreneurship to consulting and his role on boards across multiple sectors. Narry Singh is an advisor to CEOs of the world's largest corporations as well as a successful Silicon Valley entrepreneur and investor. He previously served as Global Head, Growth & Strategy for Accenture Digital and was a member of Accenture's Global Leadership Council. His team was responsible for Accenture Digital’s growth strategy, acquisitions, investments, new service offerings and global partnerships. Prior to joining Accenture in 2014 in London, he spent 19 years in Silicon Valley building mobile, eCommerce, and SaaS businesses. Singh has also invested in and/or advised over 30 start-ups and has served on boards of or advised the World Economic Forum (ITC Committee), TigerText, CaseCentral, Architecture for Humanity, among others. The discussion was a collaboration between the Center for Global Management and Easton Technology Management Center and drew a broad audience of UCLA students, alumni, faculty, staff and members of the extended UCLA community and general public.

In his recent paper “ Digital Competition with China Starts with Competition at Home,” former FCC chair Tom Wheeler states that at the heart of digital competition – both in the United States and abroad – is data - the capital asset of the 21st century. The sheer scale and richness of China’s data creates an inherent digital advantage when compared to the U.S. To out-innovate China, Wheeler advocates that the U.S. should focus on meaningful competition at home and trust in the “all-American” belief that competition drives innovation. However, he asserts that the digital marketplace in the U.S. is not competitive. While America’s tech giants are innovative, nevertheless they are starving independent innovators of access to the essential data assets required for market competitiveness. He adds that U.S. public policy should explicitly embrace the concept of competition-driven innovation which begins with freeing up the data for others to use. While this does not necessarily mean breaking up the dominant companies, he advocates that it does mean “breaking them open” to unlock the assets needed for competition-driven innovation to thrive in the United States. The Center for Global Management and Easton Technology Management Center hosted a moderated conversation with Tom Wheeler who provided a 360-degree view on the state of technology today, including the most promising areas of innovation and how he sees China on a comparative basis to the U.S. in terms of tech-based advances, economic growth and addressing broad societal needs. Wheeler discussed the proposition of his recent paper and described its key elements as well as analyzed the potential risks. During a fascinating and broad reaching moderated conversation, he explained how his proposition can become a reality at a practical level and what would be required from both a legislative as well as industry standpoint to preserve the dynamism of American capitalism while protecting the American consumer. Drawing on lessons learned from other regions of the world, he also shared his national vision for digital policy in the U.S. and his observations on how he sees the role of technology in addressing broader societal issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The conversation was moderated by Terry Kramer, adjunct professor and faculty director of the Easton Technology Management Center and Christine Loh, visiting professor and former minister in the Hong Kong SAR Government. The audience, which comprised over 200 current and admitted students as well as alumni, faculty, staff, members of the extended UCLA community and general public asked many though-provoking questions during the audience Q&A around changes needed to the U.S. structure of governing and regulating to meet the challenges and opportunities of big data and the responsibility of U.S.-based tech companies doing business in China. Wheeler shared his thoughts on innovation, leadership and public policy and provided an extremely insightful window into the tech world and his eye-opening proposal about how data should be used, who should own it and how it can create a competitive advantage for the U.S. amidst an increasingly competitive global landscape. The discussion was a collaboration with the UCLA Luskin Global Public Affairs, UCLA Samueli School of Engineering and the UCLA School of Law Lowell Milken Institute for Business Law & Policy.

Africa is the world’s second largest continent with a population of over 1.2 billion people. Africa thrives in all its diversity and amidst the proxy wars that keep affecting its progress. People and hope combined with capital and perseverance change everything. The Center for Global Management welcomed to campus Sanjeev Gupta, board of directors member and executive director for financial services at the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) for a conversation and moderated discussion as part of its Global management Lecture Series. AFC is an independent, majority private sector owned, multi-lateral African financial institution that provides project structuring expertise and risk capital to address Africa’s infrastructure development needs. Gupta addressed a packed classroom of UCLA Anderson MBA, Ph.D. as well as undergraduate students, alumni and representatives from UCLA’s African Studies Center for a fascinating discussion as he provided a cultural insight into commercial success on the continent. Gupta explained how Africa is no different to anywhere else - to succeed, businesses need on the ground presence, patient capital and the ability to understand local nuances and encourage local practices. They also need to embrace multiculturalism as a reality and adaptability as an imperative. Gupta shared his real life experiences of success, planning and delivery in Africa that while hard to replicate in the confines of a business school, were rich in content, and provided succor and hope to aspiring leaders willing and keen to succeed in what is paradoxically referred to as the last frontier for humanity. Gupta has 30 years of experience in investment and fund management, private equity and corporate finance. His forte has been to blend global and indigenous corporates, financial investors and governments to develop commercially viable business and development models that leave a sustainable impact on emerging market economies. Gupta’s overall responsibility in AFC includes treasury, trade finance, debt syndication, country and investor relations and financial advisory. Prior to joining AFC, Gupta was the managing partner of Emerging Markets Mergers and Acquisitions Center of Excellence at Ernst and Young. He has also served as the chief executive officer of Sanlam Investment Management Emerging Markets operations and was a founder and managing partner of Emerging Opportunity Consulting, a boutique advisory firm specializing in SME financing.