From Sales Rep to MBA Leader: My Biotech Journey to Commercial Leadership

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I still remember the exact moment I knew something had to change. It was a late summer night in July 2024, and I was sitting at my desk in the corner of our small two-bedroom apartment. 

My two-month-old son was crying in the background, my wife was exhausted, and I was slogging through work emails while staring down another week of feeling professionally stagnant. 

I looked around at my tiny domain: bare apartment walls, floor cluttered with assorted baby things, desk covered in product marketing handouts typical of the average sales rep. 

I thought to myself, This is not it. I can do better. I need to do more.

What people didn’t see behind the scenes was everything that led up to that moment.

Finding the Right MBA Program in the Bay Area 

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In January 2024, I finally underwent shoulder surgery to repair a labrum tear I had been putting off for years. As someone who relied heavily on the gym for stress relief and discipline, it was tough to accept the downtime. But I knew I’d come out stronger and it would be worth it in the end.

Then in February, my world tilted again: I was diagnosed with testicular cancer and had surgery within a week. My wife was six months pregnant at the time, and we were both trying to support each other while privately managing fear, uncertainty, and the weight of what was coming next.

By May, our son Cole arrived. He was healthy, happy and immediately the center of our lives. But as joyful as that moment was, it also magnified everything else. We had a newborn, medical bills, very little space, and I was still recovering both physically and emotionally. 

Professionally, I’d spent 10 successful years in B2B sales and had worked my way up to senior account manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific.

I knew I was capable of more than “just being a rep.” I wanted to lead, to contribute strategically and to build a career with real upward mobility. All of that led me to the UC Davis Graduate School of Management.

Why UC Davis?

I had some friends who had recently graduated from the UC Davis GSM, so I asked them about their experiences. They all said the same thing: Just do it. But I needed a program that aligned with my current circumstances. 

I felt like I had a full plate already with a demanding job, newborn son, and physical recovery. That’s what made the Bay Area Part-Time MBA stand out immediately.

As a working professional and new parent, that was exactly what I needed. And everyone spoke about the program with authenticity that made me feel like I’d found the right community.

Being based in the Bay Area, the students in my cohort are a diverse and incredibly bright, hard-working group of professionals from all walks of industry. The cohort size is relatively small so I’ve been able to connect with each of them individually, and my network is so much stronger because of it. Working with them and the professors every other Saturday genuinely reshapes how I manage my business the following Monday.

The program's flexibility is unmatched. The STEM-designated curriculum blends strategy, data and leadership—exactly what I needed to transition from sales execution to commercial leadership. 

Growth through Leadership: Pushing the Limit

School on its own was just not enough, though. I knew I could do more. And I wanted to push the limits of what I felt I was capable of. I volunteered to serve as president of the UC Davis Bay Area Part-Time MBA program. This means I’m now leading 50+ of my peers, helping shape our MBA experience through collaborative leadership and decision-making. 

This has challenged me in ways that mirror real organizational leadership: aligning different personalities, managing conflicting schedules, driving engagement and being the person people look to when something needs to get done.

Serving in this role has shown me that leadership isn’t just a title; it’s the willingness to step forward when others hesitate. It’s also taught me how my experience in sales translates into influence, empathy and execution. 

My career growth has carried directly into my work at Thermo Fisher, where I’m mentoring new reps on my team as part of my daily responsibilities.

In the middle of all this, I decided “let’s really put the pedal to the metal” and accepted a new part-time role as a growth advisor for Nextnet, a life-sciences AI startup.

Balancing Work, School and Parenthood

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People often ask how I manage everything, and the truth is: there is no perfect balance. Some weeks, I’m up at 5 a.m. to work on a finance assignment before my son wakes up. Other weeks, I catch up with work late at night because I let school take priority. And honestly, sometimes I fall behind on both and need to reset. For me, it’s not about perfection; it’s all about growth. 

What this process has taught me is that growth comes from managing complexity, not avoiding it. And nothing sharpens your time management and prioritization skills like doing an MBA while being a new parent and working full-time!

Looking Ahead: Becoming a Commercial Leader in Biotech

My long-term goal is clear: I want to become a commercial leader in the biotech and life sciences industry. To do that, I need to understand not just sales, but how finance, operations, strategy and organizational behavior come together to drive innovation and impact.

I'll be enrolling in the Biotechnology Industry Immersion program to gain deeper expertise in the regulatory and scientific complexities of commercializing life sciences innovations. 

The Bay Area Part-Time MBA helps me see the bigger picture of how my role on the front lines of revenue generation supports the business's broader objectives.

My Advice to Working Professionals Considering an MBA

If you’re on the fence about pursuing an MBA while working full-time—especially if you have a family—my advice is simple: don’t wait. Just do it.

The timing will never be perfect. You will never magically have more time. But jumping in headfirst forces you to grow.
You’ll learn to dig deeper than you thought possible. You’ll push boundaries. You’ll set yourself apart in a competitive market. And most importantly, you’ll come out the other side with an accomplishment that no one can take from you. 

The investment you make outside the 9-to-5 is the investment that builds your future.