Q&A with Regina Regazzi (’97)

Regina Regazzi’s (’97) involvement with UCLA Anderson began as a student in the full-time program. After graduating, she commenced her career first as a banker and then as an executive recruiter and career consultant. In 2010, she returned to Anderson full time to run the school’s John E. Parker Career Management Center. Along the way, she found time to lead Anderson’s alumni association board of directors, her career and service earning her the Outstanding Alumni Service Award and inclusion on the school’s “100 Inspirational Alumni” list in conjunction with Anderson’s 75th anniversary.

Now, she begins a new chapter in her relationship with her alma mater as she begins a new role as senior advisor, employer relations. She recently discussed this role and what she hopes to accomplish. (This interview has been edited and shortened for clarity.)

Tell us about your new role as senior advisor, employer relations.

Developing employer relations has always been part of my work at Anderson, but now I am taking this work up a level to work with all the programs.

I’ll be enhancing and building relationships with “champions” within these companies, senior-level executives who can share insights about their companies and the strategic landscape of their industries to help us identify the skills students need to succeed in those companies. Not only does this help us determine how to train students to be successfully recruited by those companies, but it will also give students guidance on how to work their way up in those organizations.

I’ll be able to bring key takeaways to the programs on both the career and academic sides. These “champions” will be at companies where we already place students as well as aspirational companies.

Were there experiences during your tenure leading the CMC that demonstrated a need for this new role?

I was also the head of the corporate relations channel. That stemmed from my first Parker role, which was executive director of corporate relations. We were doing a good job being tactical — getting companies to campus, checking in to see how our interns and alumni were doing — but we were missing the crucial relationships with senior-level executives. This particularly hit home since there are people from my generation at Anderson who are friends, but I wasn’t able to leverage their expertise and views. That’s the part I’m really looking forward to: developing those relationships for the betterment of both students and alumni.

I should add that I’ll be working with all of the MBA programs, as well as the MFE and MSBA programs, and I’ll be working with both domestic and international companies. If we want to be a great global institution, it is imperative that we hear the viewpoints from employers from all corners of the world.

What prompted Anderson to create this new role?

I am co-head of a committee, along with Associate Dean Rob Weiler (’91), working on Dean Bernardo’s strategic plan. We spent time with the career directors in all the programs and found that we’re doing a great job prepping students and doing the tactical work to bring companies to campus for corporate presentations and interviews, but we hadn’t spent enough time engaging the senior-level executives who will be our champions within their companies.

You worked with faculty to enhance our curriculum, in terms of giving current students specific skill sets. Can you tell us more about that?

We wanted our students to be more technically ready for interviews. This is becoming increasingly challenging, as some interviews are taking place earlier than ever. We moved investment banking interviews to late November/early December in order to be competitive with other MBA programs, and companies in other industries are conducting earlier interviews as well.

In response, we developed a program called “Industry Immersions,” covering finance, consulting and technology. Previously, each area had its own immersion, and the goal was to bring to fore some of the specific fundamentals students need to know for their interviews but might not otherwise get exposed to until they take these courses, which sometimes aren’t offered until the winter or spring quarter. Parker worked with ladder faculty to develop the curriculum, and we executed finance and consulting in July, and then tech occurred in September.

About half of the full-time class participated in at least one immersion.

What are some of your goals as you develop and strengthen employer relationships?

We’re looking to build deeper relationships with more seasoned alumni at the companies that consistently hire across our programs as well as at aspirational companies, where they can help us make inroads.

We also want to better prepare our students so that they are successful when networking and interviewing. But that’s not enough. We also want them to succeed and advance within the companies once they become employees.

Finally, we are looking to facilitate connections among alumni by hosting compelling events that bring them together.

What are the biggest challenges you see organizations dealing with today in terms of recruiting talent?

I don’t think companies spend enough time thinking about the critical competencies of the roles for which they are hiring. Which skills and experiences do they really need?

Thinking about this in advance, instead of asking trite questions about very basic skills, would help them get the right people, who can start adding value immediately. There is nothing more frustrating and disappointing than when someone gets into a role and it becomes clear very quickly to both the person and the company that they are not the right fit. That’s a waste of time, money and other resources. Plus, it sets the company back on meeting goals and the new hire back on advancing their career.

In your conversations with top organizations, which key skills are they seeking in new MBA graduates?

I recently asked this of one of our industry champions in banking, and his immediate response was “writing skills.” He said, “I need someone who can synthesize a hundred pages down into key points.” His first response wasn’t around modeling and other analytical skills, although those are always important.

Two other necessary skills are the ability to generate ideas quickly and to come up with multiple solutions to a problem. The ability to do basic math in one’s head is important. We’re not talking about complex mathematical equations — just your basic, back-of-the-envelope math.

Ultimately, it comes down to relatability. I don’t mean that someone should hire someone just like them; that’s where companies often miss hiring someone who has the critical competencies. It’s whether a person can do the job and is compatible with the manager or team at the 23rd hour, when they’re pulling an all-nighter.

How can new alumni, who may be just starting their careers, make an impact on the UCLA Anderson community?

First, get involved in the alumni communities and groups you join after graduating.

Second, become an advocate for Anderson within your company, which may mean encouraging it to recruit at Anderson in the first place or joining an established recruiting team. Respond to informational interview requests and help students get an understanding of your company, while making connections with non-Anderson colleagues who can campaign for our students and guide our career officers on the best ways to prepare students for recruitment.

As you connect with alumni in organizations globally, what is your message to them?

This is a great and different way to give back to Anderson.

We need you to think of Anderson when your company is hiring. Connect with us to build a formal relationship, which may include coming to campus to make corporate presentations and interview students, or get involved with Anderson’s centers and participate in their events. Alumni can also help with deep-dive interview guidance for their industries and functions.

What do you hope the long-term effects will be from your efforts in this new role?

I’d like to reengage some alumni to bring them back into the Anderson fold. We have so many alumni doing interesting things in their fields. This is a different way for them to get involved with Anderson, one that can potentially benefit both them and their companies by bringing highly skilled and well-prepared Anderson students onto their teams.

I also hope that this helps position Anderson better among top companies across various industries. We need to help our students succeed in getting in the door and then advancing into senior positions.