Matthew Richards
MBA 15
Associate Marketing Manager
The Clorox Company
Berkeley Haas offers so many more opportunities in brand management than other business schools, and the resources here go far beyond consumer package goods.
My CPG internship experience at Nestlé gave me the experience I needed in order to truly understand what a brand management role entails, reinforced that I had made the right career choice, and set me up to land a role at one of the best CPG companies.
A strong foundation and hands-on experience
Because Haas is a general management program, I was able to explore areas outside of marketing, including finance, operations, accounting, and sales, all of which I use in my current role. The curriculum prepared me for success, because it didn't restrict me in the courses that I had to take.
My International Business Development experience was a real highlight; it was so impactful to help a company that gives the victims of sex trafficking a second chance at life. And Berkeley Board Fellows gave me the opportunity to sit on the board of a Bay Area nonprofit. That experience helped prepare me to present to, influence, and work with executives.
Collaborative, not cutthroat
The Confidence Without Attitude Defining Leadership Principle is the main reason I enrolled at Berkeley Haas. I could tell as soon as I started meeting my classmates that they weren’t people who were willing to do anything to get ahead. The culture is collaborative, not cutthroat.
As part of Coming-Out Week, Q@Haas held a Story Salon around our coming-out stories. I was impressed that it was our straight classmates who asked us to do that. It’s an indication of just how open the culture is here and how much we all want to understand each other’s community.
INTERNSHIP
Nestlé USA
Oakland, California
JOB PRIOR TO HAAS
Senior Consultant
Ernst & Young
Los Angeles, California
PREVIOUS DEGREE
BS, Business Administration
University of Southern California