Dan Cho
MBA/MPH 18
Senior Director of Operations
Tempo
I planned on doing a straight MBA, but conversations with a few concurrent degree students quickly convinced me to add the MPH. In exchange for one additional semester of study, I gained two full summers to explore my career path.
The concurrent degree program introduced me to the gamut of possibilities. I got to experience pharma at Abbott and biotech at Genentech. In each situation, I honed my skills and refined my own understanding of what kind of company would be the best fit.
For me, strategy and operations are two sides of the same coin. I love contributing to call center operations, for example. It’s exciting to be responsible for outcomes that are measurable and really affect people.
The classroom and co-curriculars build skills
Two classes that surprised me were Designing Financial Models that Work and Presentation Design for Analytical Communication. I had created models and slides before, but these classes really brought me up to the next level.
Co-chairing the 2018 Haas Healthcare Conference was a defining endeavor. It was awesome to take a blank slate and create something meaningful. It also helped me form very strong and lasting bonds with the team that put it together.
Cort Worthington’s classes in Leadership Communication and The Art of Coaching Conversations resonate with me every day on the job. These are essential skills that we don’t always take time to appreciate, much less practice.
An open community
Coming to the Bay Area from New York City, it was refreshing to be among people who are open and curious.
At Haas, I made a point of opening myself up to experiences outside the LGBTQ community, where I had previously focused a lot of my relationships. This broadened my perspective and helped me build networks that last a lifetime.
INTERNSHIP
Genentech, Strategy & Operations Associate
JOB PRIOR TO HAAS
Implementation Manager
Epic
Verona, Wisconsin
PREVIOUS DEGREE
BA, Sustainable Development
Columbia University