UCLA Anderson Forges New Interdisciplinary Pathways

“Our society is very good at defining ‘difference’ but very bad at championing it,” says Kevin Berryman (’87), former president and CFO at Jacobs Solutions and now serving as special advisor to the company’s CEO.

Berryman learned the value of diversity at a very young age when his parents — a math teacher father and an administrator mother — moved their family to Altadena, California, in the mid-1960s, a period of tumultuous change nationwide. They were keen to ensure their four boys would be exposed to the dynamics of social change and could learn from the challenges of creating a racially integrated world together. An athlete, Berryman forged relationships with teammates from different backgrounds on both the basketball and baseball teams – and saw firsthand how teamwork could be strengthened because of those different experiences.

“Seeing this directly — both the good things and the challenges — of communities going through major upheavals has helped me gain a better view of the world at every stage in my life,” he says. “It taught me to actively embrace diversity and seek out variety in my personal and career opportunities. Along with my Anderson MBA, appreciating the value of differing perspectives has been instrumental in helping me successfully navigate the global business landscape.”

Berryman would go on to spend more than 40 years navigating the demanding world of international finance, M&A and business operations. He spent the last eight years in senior leadership positions at Jacobs, where his tenure included four years as president and CFO. During his time at the company, its equity value increased nearly 350%.

“I’ve tried to break down silos wherever necessary throughout my career. This is precisely why I’ve decided to support Anderson’s strategy to increase its interdisciplinarity. In today’s digital age, the convergence of technical and business expertise drives innovation, competitiveness and growth. The most promising future leaders are individuals who can blend and adapt their thinking – whether engineering with business, business with digital, or all of the above,” Berryman says. “Anderson is on the right track in seeking to increase its collaboration with the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, and I’m incredibly proud to support this strategic initiative.”

To that end, the Berrymans made a major gift to Anderson to further these goals.  “Anderson is taking a step that anticipates the future, and I am proud to give back to a great institution that has given me so much support in building my career.  Giving back is very satisfying, and I would encourage others to do so when able.”

“We’re most appreciative to Kevin for his generosity, and for his belief in UCLA Anderson as an institution making an important impact on our community,” says Dean Tony Bernardo. “His support enables us to continue to train and educate the next generation of transformative leaders.”

Berryman earned his B.A. in economics from Occidental College and started his career by landing an internship and a full-time job in the international division of Carnation (later acquired by Nestlé). He earned his MBA from Anderson while working full time, giving his career a major boost by solidifying his stature and talent in the eyes of senior management.

“After roughly 10 years in corporate finance, I knew I could give more to the business. It was one of the most challenging periods in my life, trying to balance a demanding job with a new family and an intense, part-time MBA program at Anderson, but it was worth every ounce of sweat,” he says. “The breadth of topics we engaged in changed my view of what I could accomplish in my career.”

After working in the chocolate and confections division of Nestlé USA, Berryman joined the global headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, bringing his knowledge of the U.S. market to international leadership. It was an uphill battle at first – and he soon realized he was bringing a U.S. approach to a more formal culture. He began to adapt to be more in line with international colleagues and worked to bridge styles in determining the way forward.

He was successful – doing another stint in Vevey before moving on to help integrate Ralston Purina in St. Louis, Missouri, into the Nestlé organization.

Berryman is a member of the Center for Global Management’s board, giving time, intellect and financial support. In numerous discussions with Dean Bernardo, he’s emphasized the need to take the future head on.

“Dean Bernardo is working to find pathways that cross over from Anderson to the School of Engineering and vice versa,” says Berryman. “The world no longer works in verticals. And with AI, machine learning, data analytics and other emerging technologies – future leaders will have to understand convergence of technology, the business and how it impacts employees and society.   Leaders that have this blend of skills will be able to adapt and transform the future of business solutions, leading to enhanced value.

Berryman is also a founding member of the UN Global Compact’s CFO Coalition for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Berryman helped steer the coalition’s work to support CFOs around the world in accelerating corporate investments toward SDGs.