Center for Global Management

The Center for Global Management (CGM), welcomed Jim Allen (’93), an alumnus of the full-time MBA program and member of the CGM’s advisory board, back to his alma mater for a lunchtime discussion with students. Allen was also in town for Alumni Reunion Weekend to celebrate his 30th year class reunion. Allen, who is a senior advisor within the Investment Banking Division at Morgan Stanley, started his career at Morgan Stanley in 1993, and most recently served as head of Morgan Stanley’s Latin America mergers and acquisitions practice from 2008 to 2022. Prior to that, he was a member of Morgan Stanley’s Media and Communications Group, covering the telecommunications industry in the United States and Latin America for over 10 years. His experience includes mergers and acquisitions, equity and debt capital markets financing, restructuring, and privatization transactions for corporate clients and governments throughout the Americas.

Students from the full-time, fully employed and executive MBA programs, interested in global management and business, including members of the Investment Finance Association and Latin American Business Association, joined the interactive session which provided an opportunity for interested MBA students to meet with Allen in an informal and interactive setting and hear his thoughts, insights and experience as a global investment banker and strategic advisor; his career transition from U.S. Navy to investment banking enabled by UCLA Anderson; and his experience doing business internationally within a highly global, U.S.-based multinational. Allen also shared his thoughts on the nearshoring/slowbalization trend and how it is impacting and expecting to impact different parts of Latin America and multinationals’ investment plans – which has become a very hot topic among clients at Morgan Stanley. Students received tangible advice as they think about their own careers, the current global environment, and the importance of being able to adapt as the environment evolves. Prior to Morgan Stanley, Allen served for seven years as an officer in the U.S. Navy, including six months as an exchange officer in the Chilean Navy. The discussion was organized by the Center for Global Management and supported by Investment Finance Association and Latin American Business Association.

The Center for Global Management (CGM) hosted a lunchtime discussion in its Meet the Graduate Series with Yin Hui (’14), an alumna of the full-time MBA (FTMBA) program who served in many leadership roles during her time at UCLA Anderson, including director of the Greater China Business Association (GCBA), and student director of the 2014 Wilbur K. Woo Greater China Business Conference. Hui was also active with the Healthcare Business Association (HBA). Her experience at Anderson strengthened her belief in, and passion for global management, the importance of having impact, and bringing health care innovations to people across the globe. During an informal and interactive lunch, Hui discussed her time at Anderson and shared thoughts on how to maximize the academic, career and networking opportunities available. She addressed her career trajectory, some of the decisions and choices she made, and provided guidance on how students can maximize their MBA experience and use it as a launching pad for their career and passions.

Students from across the full-time, fully employed and executive MBA programs were inspired by Hui’s energy, passion and poise and left the discussion with some terrific tangible advice and tips as they navigate their own leadership, career and personal journeys over the coming months, during their time at Anderson and post-graduation. Prior to joining the FTMBA program, Hui worked for Deloitte Consulting as a consultant in the Shanghai office. Through on-campus recruiting, she completed a summer internship with Amgen in its corporate finance area and then accepted a full-time offer to return to join Amgen’s MBA leadership rotational program of Strategy and Finance (FLSLDP). She received diverse experience across various functional areas in the U.S., Japan and Asia Pacific region. Hui then dedicated over five years to Amgen’s Asia Pacific operations where she led a series of affiliate set-up and new product line launches in Japan, Singapore, Thailand and other countries across the region, while at the same time completing a Master of Public Health at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Recently, she returned to Southern California to join Amgen’s global team as Global Marketing Director where she leads the precision (personalized) medicine aspect of its business – an innovative approach to tailoring disease prevention and treatment that takes into account the differences in people's genes, environments and lifestyles. Hui believes that her global experience will continue to contribute to Amgen’s global product strategy to benefit patients around the world. The discussion, organized by the Center for Global Management , was supported by the Greater China Business Association and Healthcare Business Association.

About the Series

The objective of this series is to connect students with members of our global alumni community who are working across various industries and functions. In an informal and interactive setting, students can hear from graduates who emerged from Anderson with a solid understanding of global managerial, operational and policy issues. They will share their thoughts and insights on a variety of subjects, including their career trajectory post Anderson, the importance of having a global perspective in their various sectors as well as an understanding of global issues and their impact on business and society. They also will provide advice and guidance to current students interested in becoming well-rounded and well-informed global citizens.

The Center for Global Management (CGM) hosted an in-person lunchtime discussion with Ping Wang, a seasoned communications professional at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and research fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, who has led many communications projects that have helped the IMF break through to a new generation given increasing skepticism about multilateralism.  Students from the full-time, fully employed and executive MBA programs, interested in global management, joined the lunchtime session to learn more about the important role of the IMF in upholding globalization and building a framework for international economic cooperation. Wang addressed the history, role and purpose of the IMF in upholding globalization and multilateral cooperation, the role it plays during financial crises, and the kind of assistance it offered during the recent pandemic. She explained how the IMF is organized and funded, and explained its role in surveillance, funding and capacity development. Wang also touched on the technical assistance and training that the IMF provides to governments and shared that the lending capacity of the IMF is one trillion USD. Wang spent time to explain how the IMF is enhancing support to its 190-member countries as they pursue their Sustainable Development Goals, and introduced some IMF research on global economic analysis, and frontier thinking on future trends. While the IMF’s traditional areas of focus have included fiscal policy, monetary policy and financial stability, Wang shared details on some of its more recent areas of focus, such as climate change, women in the economy and inclusive growth. The discussion was organized by the Center for Global Management, and supported by Net Impact.

The Center for Global Management welcomed Jon Niermann (’95), an alumnus of the FEMBA program and member of the CGM’s advisory board, back to his alma mater for a lunchtime discussion with students. During his career of over 30 years, Niermann has achieved success on both the corporate and entrepreneurial business worlds in the U.S. and Asia. He built his entertainment career with The Walt Disney Company and Electronic Arts, serving as president of both company's Asian operations, prior to starting his own media companies. Niermann left the corporate world after 22 years to start his own company, FarWest Entertainment (2010), a multi-platform (television, music, animation, digital) media and entertainment company that focused on bridging Asia with the West. In 2016, he co-founded Loop Media, Inc., which went public on the NYSE in 2022.  Loop Media is a Digital Out of Home video streaming company, that serves as a content platform for public venues and businesses – large and small. Loop is the largest provider of music videos and other short-form content to top businesses.

Students from all four MBA programs, interested in global management and business, including members of the Entertainment Management Association joined the interactive session to hear about Niermann’s successful career trajectory post-Anderson. He discussed his experiences working on the business and creative sides of large companies and then venturing into the entrepreneurial world full-time with his own media companies, and his 15 years of living in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo. He also shared his thoughts and insights on the global media and entertainment landscape, as well as the implications for the industry, in the short and longer terms, as a result of the trends that have been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic ,and addressed the pivot that Loop Media had to quickly made. He addressed lessons learned over the years, why he made certain decisions throughout his career, and provided students with some tangible advice as they think about their own career paths and industry pivots. The discussion was organized by the Center for Global Management and supported by the UCLA Anderson Entertainment Management Association.

The Center for Global Management (CGM) hosted an in-person lunchtime discussion with Christine Loh, former undersecretary for the environment in the Hong Kong SAR Government, a position she held from 2012 to 2017. Loh was the advisor to the head of the HKSAR Government from 2019 to 2020 on specific aspects of environmental cooperation between mainland China and Hong Kong. From 2018 to 2022, she taught an MBA course at UCLA Anderson titled Non-Market Risks and Understanding Politics: The Global Context for Doing Business. Loh serves on the boards of several listed and nonprofit organizations and is best known as a leading voice in public policy particularly in the environment and climate change, sustainable finance, and geopolitics.  Students from the full-time, fully employed and executive MBA programs, interested in global management and sustainability issues joined the interactive session to hear from Loh about her career trajectory in law, business, politics, media and the non-profit sector. She shared her thoughts and insights on the ESG movement in Asia and the U.S., and why she believes attention in sustainability will not fizzle out in the wake of climate change and shifting geopolitics. Loh addressed multilateral treaties that are driving the global discussion and action, explained why the decarbonization (New Zero) effort has to be very large, and provided insights and perspectives on the financing and geopolitical sides around the business of sustainability. The discussion was organized by the Center for Global Management.

The Center for Global Management hosted a lunchtime conversation with Malawi-based Evelyn Udedi a project manager and research nurse with the UCLA Geffen School of Medicine and UC Global Health Institute, and South Africa-based Alastair van Heerden, research director, Centre for Community-Based Research, Human Sciences Research Council who has worked with a number of UCLA Anderson applied management program (AMP) field study teams to help strengthen health and development services in South Africa using business theory and approaches. They addressed technology innovation in health, using business approaches to strengthen government and non-governmental programs, effectively integrating services, and engaging with communities and service providers. They also shared their backgrounds and experiences working in Africa to improve health outcomes and promote equity in health care service, as well as collaboration with, and key learnings from UCLA Anderson’s AMP teams. The luncheon provided a wonderful opportunity for interested MBA and undergraduate students to meet with Udedi and van Heerden in an informal and interactive setting and hear about their important and inspiring programs and work in Africa to achieve these objectives. They were joined by Dr. Tom Coates, director of UC’s Global Health Institute and distinguished research professor of Medicine UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, and Laurie Bruns, Senior Africa regional director, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine. Students learned more about UCLA’s and UC’s Southern Africa programs, the importance of community engagement in underserved communities around the globe, and the ecosystems necessary to achieve lasting impact and meaningful change. They also discussed the changing world of public health and how innovation can come from inspiration taken from what people do in other countries and then applied here in the United States to achieve impact in our own local communities.  The lunchtime discussion, organized by the Center for Global Management, was in collaboration with the Center for Impact@Anderson, and UCLA Anderson’s Healthcare Business Association and Net Impact.

The Center for Global Management (CGM) and the South Asian Business Association (SABA), hosted a virtual evening discussion with UCLA Anderson alumnus Arvind Singhal (’82), president of the UCLA Anderson Alumni Chapter in India and chairman of Technopak Advisors, a successful Delhi-based management consulting company that is a leader in India in the consumer products and retail sectors. Students from the full-time, fully employed and executive MBA programs, including members of SABA joined the intimate and interactive session to hear from Singhal who, beyond Technopak, is actively involved in the causes of education and healthcare in India as well as mentoring students and professionals. He shared personal stories with students, including what brought him to UCLA, his time on campus and his career trajectory since returning to India in 1982. He also shared some key learnings from his time at the Graduate School of Management (now, UCLA Anderson) and his thoughts on the key strengths and attributes to a successful career and happier personal life. Singhal addressed student questions about India today and in the future. He highlighted some exciting areas of innovation including, for example, Aadhaar, the world’s largest biometric ID system, that assigns a 12-digit unique identity number that is tied to a range of citizen beneficiary services. The program was designed to be a technological solution to both existing and emerging socio-economic challenges and help ensure inclusion in India. It is linked organically to new bank accounts and mobile connections, making them accessible to large sections of India’s ~ 1.4 billion population. In turn, much of the increase in financial access in the country has been spurred by the Aadhaar-based reforms to social programs that enable benefits to be routed through bank accounts. Singhal offered some good advice as students think about their own careers, professional and personal lives. Contextualized within the world today, he discussed the need to be nimble and the concept of VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) - offering a useful way to think about how we can be prepared and respond to unanticipated situations. Singhal sits on several Boards, including some not-for-profit, as an independent director. He also has served on several committees in the leading chambers of commerce and industry in India, across different sectors including retail, textiles, healthcare, and education, and is considered as one of India’s leading experts in India’s private consumption, consumers, and retail domains. Singhal is an accomplished columnist that focuses on the pulse of the market in India and has been a regular columnist for leading Indian business papers, including Business Standard and Economic Times, and a frequent contributor to major Indian and international business publications that include the Wall Street Journal.

The Center for Global Management hosted a virtual lunchtime discussion with Kevin Berryman (’87), an alumnus of the FEMBA program and member of the CGM’s advisory board. As president and CFO of Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., one of the world’s largest and most diverse providers of technical professional services with operations around the globe, Berryman oversees Jacobs digital and information technology and all aspects of corporate finance and treasury, investor relations and communications, strategy, M&A and internal audit. Students from the full-time, fully employed and executive MBA programs, interested in global management and business, including members of the Strategy and Operations Management Association and Investment Finance Association joined the informal and interactive lunchtime session to meet and hear from Berryman, a native of California who has enjoyed an extremely successful global career. Berryman provided insights on what is it like to run a global business with distributed operations in the midst of complex and changing economic, political and cultural environments in the U.S. and globally and in the midst of a global pandemic. He discussed his career trajectory post the UCLA Anderson FEMBA program, the different functional roles he has served in and his experience transitioning and transferring industries from Nestlé in Switzerland to Jacobs Engineering in Dallas today. He also addressed the importance of inclusion, diversity of thought and authenticity and being proactive, thoughtful and purposeful in developing a global perspective. He shared that despite the many challenges of COVID-19, the pandemic has highlighted how great people are and how increasingly important it is to understand and leverage talent. As students think about their own careers, he touched on the importance of understanding people and value creation and thinking not just vertically, but also horizontally to better understand different facets of a business and its operations. Prior to Jacobs, Berryman served as executive vice president and CFO at International Flavors and Fragrances Inc., an S&P 500 company and global creator of flavors and fragrances used in a wide variety of consumer products after spending 25 years at Nestlé where he held various financial and operational positions both in the U.S. and at its global headquarters in Switzerland.

The Center for Global Management (CGM) hosted the inaugural discussion in its new Meet the Graduates Series with Brittany Blackamore (’16), an alumna of the FEMBA program and a global management specialization graduate. At Anderson, Blackamore’s global experiences expanded her world to new countries, inspired her love of macroeconomics and global finance, deepened her global acumen, and gave her the confidence she needed in her career. During an early evening, interactive conversation, Blackamore discussed her time at Anderson and shared thoughts on how to maximize the academic, career, and networking opportunities available. She addressed her career trajectory and some of the choices she made, and provided guidance on how students can maximize the MBA and use it as a launching pad for their career and passions. She also discussed Suitcase of Joy, the value of giving back, and making a sustainable impact. Students from across the full-time and fully employed MBA programs were inspired by Blackamore’s energy, passion and poise and left the discussion with some terrific tangible advice and tips. Prior to joining the FEMBA program, Blackamore worked for Fluor, a global engineering company, as a senior buyer. Through on-campus recruiting, she accepted an offer to join Experian’s MBA leadership development program where she advanced rapidly to become director of strategy. After three successful years at Experian, Blackamore joined the Boston Consulting Group as a management consultant focused on strategy and M&A in the private equity, technology, public sector, and healthcare industries. Her global immersion travels to developing countries inspired her to found her own nonprofit organization, Suitcase of Joy, whose mission is to bring joy and education to underserved children around the world. The discussion, organized by the Center for Global Management, was supported by the Management Consulting Association and Net Impact.

The Center for Global Management hosted a virtual lunchtime discussion with Jon Niermann (’95), an alumnus of the FEMBA program and member of the CGM’s advisory board. During his career of over 30 years, Niermann has achieved success on both the corporate and entrepreneurial business worlds. He built his entertainment career with The Walt Disney Company and Electronic Arts, serving as president of both company's Asian operations, prior to starting his own media companies. Niermann started FarWest Entertainment (2010), a multi-platform (television, music, animation, digital) media and entertainment company that focused on bridging Asia with the West; and Loop Media, Inc. (founded in 2016 and went public in 2020), the first media company focused on fully integrated 360-degree engagement of music videos and other premium short-form content by consumers and businesses. The luncheon provided an opportunity for interested MBA students to meet with Niemann in an informal and interactive setting and hear about his successful career trajectory post-Anderson. He shared his thoughts and insights on the global media and entertainment landscape in light of the digital revolution, as well as his experiences working on the business and creative sides of large companies and then venturing into the entrepreneurial world full-time with his own media companies. He also addressed the implications and some lasting impacts for the industry, in the short and longer terms as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the pivot that Loop Media had to quickly made. The discussion, organized by the Center for Global Management was supported by the Entertainment Management Association.

Brazil receives over half of all investments made in fintech in Latin America and is home to the highest number of unicorns in the region. The rise of fintech in Brazil represents many of the main challenges and opportunities in the country. Despite facing many policy challenges, Brazil is highly digitized. While mobile banking has been commonplace for years, the recent pandemic accelerated trends in the banking sector where the adoption of digital payments and digital wallets had been rising fast, especially among citizens who previously had no access to banking services – propelling Brazilian fintech forward.

The Center for Global Management (CGM) was honored to welcome Roberto Campos Neto (B.S. ’93, M.A. ’95), governor of the Central Bank of Brazil, back to his alma mater for a fascinating discussion on the Central Bank of Brazil’s innovation agenda and Brazil’s role and advances in fintech. During his 20+ year tenure at Santander, he initiated a global project on technology innovation as part of the "Digital Bank" initiative. He also launched initiatives on blockchain, digital assets, and other innovations shaping the financial markets of the future. During the discussion, the in-person audience, made up of students and alumni from UCLA Anderson’s MBA, PhD and MFE programs and students studying economics at UCLA, had the opportunity to hear from Governor Neto, a strong believer in technology and financial innovation, as he reviewed these technological developments and the Central Bank’s technology agenda, including Pix, an instant payment platform created and managed by the Central Bank of Brazil, which enables the quick execution of payments and transfers. He explored the impact and implications for Brazil, the U.S. and the world; discussed the risks and challenges faced by financial institutions and examined opportunities for startups, venture investors and the global investment community. The conversation, that was also broadcast live to a remote audience of alumni and interested members of the general community, was moderated by Sebastian Edwards, distinguished professor and Henry Ford II Chair in International Management. Dean Tony Bernardo delivered opening remarks. The discussion was a featured event in the CGM’s Latin American Business Series. The UCLA Latin American Institute and Anderson’s Latin American Business Association were supporting organizations. 

The Latin American Business Series engages the audience in interactive conversations with prominent and influential private and public sector leaders, that address the region’s important and influential role in the global economy, and the world. Through balanced discourse, leaders share experiences, insights and forecasts on the economic, political and social prospects for the region, and discuss business and investment opportunities. The series serves as a platform to build networks, exchange ideas and understand the trends, opportunities and challenges of doing business in, and with Latin America.

The Center for Global Management and Latin American Business Association (LABA) hosted a virtual lunchtime discussion with Chile-based Marcial Rapela, partner at Bain & Co. and head of the Santiago, Chile office, where he is an expert in the firm’s Energy & Natural Resources, Advancing Manufacturing & Services and Metals & Mining practices. The luncheon provided an opportunity for interested students from across MBA programs to meet with Rapela in an informal and interactive virtual setting and hear about his extensive consulting career with Bain & Co. in Latin and Central America and the types of projects that he has worked on. He discussed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the consulting sector and on his organization and shared his predictions on the implications in the short and longer terms as a result of pandemic. Over 30 students from the full-time, fully employed and executive MBA programs, including members of LABA, the Management Consulting Association (MCA) and students interested in global management joined the interactive session. Rapela talked about the recruitment process for consulting and the important skillsets for new hires. He provided tangible advice for students looking to enter the consulting world – both post full-time MBA as well as more experienced hires. He also addressed how Bain has fostered social engagement and maintained culture in the virtual environment with various engagement tools both internally and with its clients. Rapela has worked with top management of large national and multinational groups in several industries such as financial services, healthcare, consumer goods, transportation and logistics, technology, retail and agrochemicals, in Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Mexico, and Central America. He has led engagements addressing strategic planning, business unit and corporate strategy, internationalization strategy, M&A, corporate and organizational restructuring, operational excellence programs, distribution strategy, customer loyalty, IT, and product portfolio optimization. The lunch, organized by the Latin American Business Association in partnership with the Center for Global Management, was supported by the Management Consulting Association.

The Center for Global Management hosted a virtual lunchtime discussion with Jim Allen (’93), an alumnus of the full-time MBA program and member of the CGM’s advisory board. Allen is a senior investment banker and strategic advisor, with over 27 years of experience in investment banking in the U.S. and across Latin America. Since earning his MBA from Anderson in 1993, Allen has been in the Investment Banking Division at Morgan Stanley, having held positions in U.S. M&A, the Global Media & Communications banking group, and since 2008, as head of M&A for the Latin America region. During his career at Morgan Stanley, Allen has been involved in equity and debt capital markets transactions, and has advised corporations, family-controlled businesses, and governments in M&A transactions, privatizations and debt restructurings. Students from the full-time, fully employed and executive MBA programs, interested in global management and business, including members of the Investment Finance Association and Latin American Business Association joined the intimate and interactive session to hear from Allen. He discussed his experience as a global investment banker and strategic advisor and his career transition from U.S. Navy enabled by UCLA Anderson and talked about his career trajectory since graduating. Allen also shared his experience doing business internationally within a highly global, U.S.-based multinational and addressed the cultural challenges for a non-native speaker and U.S. citizen of doing business in Latin America. He shared some leadership lessons with students and addressed the importance of cultural awareness and being able to adapt as the environment evolves. Students received tangible advice as they think about their own careers. Allen also shared his thoughts on the future of global finance in what some would describe as a current anti-globalization environment. Prior to Anderson, Allen served for seven years as an officer in the U.S. Navy, including six months as an exchange officer in the Chilean Navy.

The Center for Global Management and the Latin American Business Association (LABA) hosted a virtual lunchtime discussion with Lima-based UCLA Anderson alumnus Lino Abram (’99), senior partner at McKinsey & Co. who founded the Lima, Peru office where he leads the financial services practice for many Latin American countries. The luncheon provided an opportunity for interested MBA students to meet with Abram in an informal and interactive virtual setting and hear about his successful career trajectory post-Anderson and extensive consulting career with McKinsey & Co. in Latin America and the Caribbean. He shared his thoughts on comparative challenges helping companies do business across the region in light of the digital revolution and limited access to talent and addressed the implications for businesses across the region, in the short and longer terms as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 40 students from the full-time, fully employed and executive MBA programs, including members of LABA, the Management Consulting Association (MCA) and students interested in global management joined the interactive lunchtime session joined to hear Abram share his experiences and insights around recent learnings from COVID-19 and digital transformations. Since joining McKinsey & Co. in 1999, Abram has worked across much of Latin America and the Caribbean. During his 21 years with McKinsey, he has served clients in financial services, private equity, consumer goods, and mining and metals. More recently, he has been leading the assessment of digital transformation of Latin American businesses and how this is changing the consulting services industry. The lunch, organized by the Latin American Business Association in partnership with the Center for Global Management, was supported by the Management Consulting Association.