Career Path of a Professor at University of San Diego
Initially aiming for a marketing career, Tito's journey began with sales at AT&T, transitioning into marketing there before gaining "strides" in marketing at McDonald's and PepsiCo, managing multi-tiered approaches for ubiquitous products. Subsequent roles in video game companies, consulting, and HP preceded a recent pivot to a fulfilling career as a full-time marketing professor at the University of San Diego, showcasing a diverse path reflecting "a good, new path of life."
Marketing, Career Pivoting, Global Business, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Higher Education
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Tito Zamalloa
Professor
University of San Diego
Cal Poly Pomona
UCLA MBA
Marketing
Education
Education
HSI Grad, Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Immigrant, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Transfer Student
Video Highlights
1. Professor Tito's career path showcases the value of diverse experiences. Starting in sales at AT&T, he transitioned to marketing, then gained valuable experience in the fast-paced QSR industry at McDonald's and the strategic planning of CPG marketing at PepsiCo. This highlights the benefit of exploring different sectors to build a strong foundation in marketing.
2. His journey into the video game industry with Razor Gaming and a subsequent startup demonstrates the potential for growth in emerging markets and the importance of adaptability when facing challenges like economic downturns. This emphasizes the need for resilience and the ability to pivot in a dynamic business environment.
3. Finally, his pivot from a corporate marketing role at HP to a full-time professorship at the University of San Diego highlights the possibility of career changes and the fulfillment found in pursuing passions later in one's career. This underscores the importance of aligning one's career path with personal values and goals.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Did you have any internships or jobs before your current role?
This is going back a few years, back to college. I left the university with the ambition to have a career in marketing, as it's always highly sought after. But I actually ended up joining the sales team at AT&T.
It was my entry into a corporate role. Eventually, that led to an actual job in marketing. I stayed there for about four years. I started in sales, left in marketing, learned a lot, and then I had a chance to go to McDonald's afterwards to learn more about the quick-service restaurant business.
I learned a ton. I think I earned my stripes in the fast-food business because it is so active, ubiquitous, and prevalent in the U.S. It's also highly competitive, especially here in Southern California. This gave me the opportunity to be very technical in my marketing approach.
Eventually, I went to PepsiCo. I learned more about the regimented approach of CPG marketing, planning across multiple channels. A soda can be purchased in a variety of venues, from gas stations to big warehouse stores to regular supermarkets. I learned a lot about managing a multi-tiered approach for a very ubiquitous type of product, like a soda.
Then, I went into the video game business with Razer Gaming. Back then, it was a more niche player. Eventually, the company grew to be a unicorn with a high valuation, now based in Irvine. I had a global role managing the team in the Americas for the distribution of our niche video game peripherals and products.
It was a good experience, geeky at times, with very niche products back then. But now, video games are the number one hobby in America and have expanded dramatically across the world. It's now topping Hollywood-type productions because it is so involved.
After that, I went into a startup in the video game business. We had a few retail locations, but we couldn't scale. The recession came in, we got hit, and couldn't expand the business model. You learn and move on.
Eventually, I went to work for myself as a consultant and fractional CMO, as well as doing some teaching at universities. Then, I landed at HP in a global product marketing role. It was a great brand, but it didn't last that long because they were going to restructure.
Now, I'm pivoting my life from corporate marketing roles to being a full-time professor of marketing at the University of San Diego. I joined this year, and it's been a great change. Joining academia has been rewarding. It also has its challenges, but it's a good new path in my life. I actually pivoted.