Career Path Of A Senior Manager Strategy And Special Projects At Professional City Orchestra
Kevin's career journey began with a music performance major at the University of Texas at Austin, which transitioned into a general business degree. After five years in consulting, advising "seniors Executives across multiple Industries" in mergers and acquisitions, a return to graduate school preceded a full-circle move back to music, now working in a strategy role for a Los Angeles arts organization.
Career Exploration, Business Strategy, Mergers and Acquisitions, Leadership, Arts Administration
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Kevin Ma
Sr. Manager, Strategy & Special Projects
Professional City Orchestra
The University of Texas at Austin, 2014
MBA - UCLA Anderson School of Management
Business Management & Admin
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Business Strategy
Immigrant
Video Highlights
1. Kevin's career path demonstrates the value of a business degree, even with an initial interest in music performance.
2. His five years in consulting, particularly in mergers and acquisitions, provided valuable experience applicable to his current role.
3. His return to music through a strategy role in a Los Angeles arts organization highlights the possibility of combining different passions in a fulfilling career path.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Please include any internships or jobs you had before your current role.
I am originally from Houston, Texas, and grew up there. I went to college at the University of Texas in Austin, close to home.
I actually started out as a music performance major but was also taking business classes on the side. For various personal reasons, I decided not to pursue a career in music and switched my focus to a general business degree to finish my undergrad.
Coming out of undergrad, I worked for five years in the consulting industry. I advised senior executives across multiple industries on how to navigate critical decision points, specifically in the mergers and acquisition space. This involved guiding them through situations where two companies merge or when one company splits or sells part of its business.
During that five-year stint, I took a two-year break to go back to graduate business school. This was to shore up foundational business knowledge and expand my expertise across different functions within an organization. Following that experience, I found my way back to my music roots.
I now work in the arts in a strategy role for an organization here in Los Angeles. It's kind of a full circle for me.
Advizer Personal Links
No