One Year Later, How the UCLA MBA Changed Everything: Nick Schleiger '24 and Elias Warren '24

UCLA Drive Time Episode 108 tells of an unexpected, yet successful, career pivot well outside our guest's pre-MBA comfort zone. Nick's grit and curiosity, coupled with his UCLA network and friendships, are on full display in this Transformative Leader interview. This Drive Time special edition is also our AnderChat premiere with guest host Elias Warren '24.

Nick Schleiger '24, Johnson & Johnson MedTech, Associate Global Strategic Manager
  / nickschleiger  

Elias Warren '24, Wondery, Head of Franchise Management and Marketing
  / eliasgwarren  

Leadership, Marketing and Finance were Nick's focus areas for his MBA.

2:35 What are you doing with all your [post-MBA] free time?

Pre-MBA: Georgia Tech engineering undergrad.
Post-MBA: Serial hobbyist: music, off-roading, gym

3:50 Why MBA?

6 years of engineering. Always told "I was a bit different than other engineers."
How to lead in healthcare? Highly-regulated, complex stakeholders.
MBA = concentrated way to move forward.

7:15 Walk us through your "Why" for choosing GAP [UCLA capstone, Global Access Program]

Intentionality.

Capstone: highlight of UCLA MBA.
Planning, getting group formed, resumes, applying, executing.
Real industry, professional experience direct from the GAP capstone.
That's why we get the MBA, to do those jobs, and GAP practices those skills.

GAP: Diverse team-members: Not afraid to debate.
Who is intentional and wants to work hard?
Putting together an amazing team.

GAP: Company Pairing: like an NFL-draft situation.
No guarantee which company our group would be paired with.
Considering BCC (start-up approach) vs. GAP (working with an established, international company).

GAP: learning, with a safety net. Unique opportunity.

GAP was a no-brainer for me.

11:50 How has GAP experience changed your expectations for group work in your career?

GAP reset the bar. Be intentional about who you work with. What's best for our client?
Setting up group for success: Communication channels, operating norms.

14:25 Special guest: Tiffany Lin UCLA Anderson FEMBA '24

Same Leadership Foundations (Orientation), first learning group. Imprinting.
Great friends to this day.

Share a UCLA moment where you stepped outside your comfort zone that helped you grow later on?

"Can I say the entire [MBA] program was when I stepped outside my comfort zone?"

Electives: What am I scared of, to improve?

Capstone: Being point person for communicating with our executives (our client company) was a stretch for me as an engineer. They were overseas. Spanish client with employees all over globe. So many different customs and work habits.

18:30 Post-graduation, how are you keeping MBA connections going?

The "forced connection" of the MBA years is over.

"We were exposed to learning, social-energy, growth that few environments could offer.
Graduate school is for people who 'have their stuff together' and are still willing to try something new."

[MBA] Voluntarily throwing yourself back into growth.
I need that. We get some of that growth at work. [But not like the level of graduate school.]

Life-long learner; I would probably go to school forever.
[Learning] Doesn't end when we graduate.

"I wouldn't be where I am today without everyone in the program."

22:48 Career transformation, post-MBA: Edwards Lifesciences to Johnson & Johnson MedTech

Out of engineering. Into Strategy.
Tough job market. Graduated in June. Large layoff in October.
Opposite of "MBA dream".
Generous severance. Huge timeline to create career pivot.

Wanted Strategy, upstream marketing for healthcare. What's market like for jobs?
Self-exploration. Market research. How do I want to leverage MBA? UCLA relationships to get job in healthcare strategy and upstream marketing.

Grinding.

Cold-messaging UCLA connections on LinkedIn.
Almost 100% got back to me.
Serendipitous proof of what we experienced.
Journey of talking to people, very beneficial.
Self-learning. Reaching out. Interviewing alumni.

29:16 Controversial Question: Would you have gotten this role without your UCLA MBA?

"100% know that without the MBA, capstone, group experiences, I would not have gotten this opportunity. Technical role (as engineer) to strategy and upstream marketing is a different mindset.
I would not have been a viable candidate without my MBA."

30:48 I saw the transformation in you, as a leader.

Lightning Round!

31:20 Favorite Class at Anderson? Customer Analytics/Customer Assessment

31:32 Best Trip? Japan. Changed my curiosity.

32:04 Kiss, Marry, Kill: Saturday, Sunday, Weeknight classes?

33:25 Best friend in the program?

UCLA Anderson Drive Time is a podcast series interviewing alumni who share their success and open insights into the unique MBA offered by our faculty and programs. This episode was produced and directed by Dylan Stafford and Elias Warren. We hope you enjoy it.