Home: Student Success Stories
Vanessa Errecarte MBA 14
Founder/CEO, Erreco Strategies, LLC
Student Leadership and Experience
- UC Davis MBA Ambassador
- Member of Associated Students of Management
Previous Degree
M.A. Communication, University of the Pacific
B.A. Communication Studies, UC Davis (Minors in Music and Organizational Sociology)
Jason Bell MBA 00
Senior Vice President & Senior Investment Strategist, Wells Fargo Private Bank
Fast Facts
- Wells Fargo Global Equity Strategy team member
- CFA Society of Sacramento Past President
- CFA Institute volunteer leader
- Co-founder and writer, Sacramento Business Review
- Past team leader, Placer County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue
- Giving back: hosts UC Davis MBA students to Shadow Days at Wells Fargo; participates
Benjamin Fineberg MBA 05
Chief Financial Officer, TCHO Ventures Inc.
Berkeley, Calif.
The UC Davis MBA experience positioned me for success as the senior director of financial planning and analysis at Method, where we make premium healthy home and personal care products. The Graduate School of Management’s community and diversity of views opened me up to the idea that with good branding, innovation and a dedicated team, a company can change the world for the better while maximizing returns to investors.
Previous Position
VP Finance, 479 Degrees
Finance Manager, The Clorox Co., Oakland, Calif.
Chris Welsh MBA 05
Director of Sales, Snowflake Computing
San Francisco, Calif.
I gained the skills and knowledge to translate the fundamental leadership talents I developed in the military to the business world.
Elena Chavez Carey MBA 10
Managerial Consultant, Quality and Operations Support, The Permanente Medical Group Inc.
Oakland, Calif.
Working on a consulting project for Kaiser Permanente, the nation’s largest nonprofit health system, gave our team a crash course in healthcare economics, played out in the middle of the national healthcare debate. Now I help oversee quality and operations support at The Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser’s affiliated physician-owned for-profit partnership in Northern California.
Wayne Leighty MBA 10
Business Development Manager, Shell Oil Co.
San Francisco, Calif.
The leadership, collaboration and communications skills I learned in the UC Davis MBA program are critical to my success at Shell. My ability to build and motivate effective teams, understand our structure and strategy, and map power and influence in our stakeholder communities fuel my career.
Hilary Hoeber MBA 04
Design Strategist, Independent Consultant
San Francisco, Calif.
My UC Davis MBA experience was a life-shaping moment in a well-timed career pivot. The combination of excellent professors and an experienced, diverse student body was invaluable. The School’s focus on developing a holistic approach to fostering individual professional growth while deepening business acumen is unique.
Previous Position
Sr. Strategist, UberEATs, San Francisco, Calif.
Business Strategist, Scient, San Francisco, Calif., and London, U.K.
John Barnickel MBA 93
Vice President, Pacific Region, Medtronic Inc.
San Francisco, Calif.
Previous Degrees
B.S., Finance, California State University, Hayward
My career allows me to strike a rare balance between making money and making meaning. At Medtronic, I am accountable for $200+ million in revenue and 160 sales, service and management colleagues. My UC Davis MBA gave me a global perspective and opportunities to collaborate, tap synergies and improve project outcomes. I use the lessons for effective teamwork every day.
Cathinka Wahlstrom MBA 91
Senior Managing Director, North America Banking, Accenture
New York, N.Y.
Previous Degrees
B.A., Economics, B.A., Journalism | Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Leading change requires both both the courage to make tough decisions and the experience to know how to quickly adapt to new realities. The Graduate School of Management helped me become a well-rounded professional with the confidence to push the bigger ideas.
Alexzandra Caldwell-Wenman MBA 13
Product Manager, Merrill Corporation
Minneapolis, MN
MBA Internship
Online Marketing Intern, Intuit | Menlo Park, Calif.
Previous Position
Product Manager, When I Work | Minneapolis, MN
Previous Degree
BFA, Art, Minor: Entrepreneurship | University of Iowa, Iowa City
Nitya Tamizhmani MBA 13
Email Analytics Manager, GoDaddy Inc.
San Francisco, Calif.
The School benefits from its ties to the San Francisco Bay Area—including deep relationships with many successful high-tech companies. My internship at StubHub was an incredible opportunity to apply my experience as a business intelligence analyst and hone the strong management skills I built at UC Davis.
Internship
Business Intelligence Analyst, StubHub, San Francisco, Calif. (An eBay company—and sponsor of San Francisco Giants baseball)
Christopher W. Baggett MBA 13
Dean’s Scholar / CalPERS, CalSTRS UC Davis MBA Fellow
Davis is culturally diverse, intellectually vibrant and full of great family activities throughout the year. We love going to parks, swimming in the town’s amazing pools, shopping at the farmer’s market and exploring the greenbelt on our bikes. The Graduate School of Management is the perfect place to pursue my MBA, and Davis offers everything my family needs while I complete my degree. Coming here was the right decision for us all!
Internship
Graduate Student Intern – Private Equity, CalPERS, Sacramento, Calif.
Tomas Sudnius MBA 12
Dean’s Scholar / James R. and Georgia K. Corbett Fellowship for Student Entrepreneurs
The UC Davis MBA offers a rare opportunity to advance your international business skills at some of the world’s best peer business schools. The exchange program at Fudan University, Shanghai allowed me to explore one of the world’s most dynamic economies, build lasting relationships, learn how to do business in China—and have a lot of fun.
Internship
Alternative Investment Management – Private Equity, California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS, nation’s largest public pension fund)
Deepti Kansal MBA 13
Full-Time MBA Student
The Graduate School of Management has an international reputation for facilitating learning through rigorous coursework and the free exchange of thoughts and ideas. My internship at Apple—known for its innovative culture and superior supply chain—is the perfect complement to my classroom studies and an invaluable opportunity for my professional development.
Internship
Retail Fulfillment Logistics Group, Apple Inc.
Ming Ee Ong MBA 13
Inventory Finance Team Lead, Intel Corp.
Sacramento, Calif. / Kenneth E. and Joanne M. Nitzberg Scholarship
The Graduate School of Management had impressive ratios of women and international students, a close-knit community and an outstanding faculty. From challenging courses to diverse leadership development opportunities to my internship at Lam Research, I got the experience, support and guidance I needed to achieve my goals.
Internship
Business Development Management Team Intern – Global Alliance & Strategy, Lam Research Corp., Fremont, Calif.
Keith Weissglass MBA 12
Dean’s Scholar / Product Marketing & Communications, Arsenal
My UC Davis MBA is one of the best investments I’ve ever made. I learned new ways to create positive change in the world, and gained the tools to do it. If you are self-motivated and want to make an impact, you’ll find the mentors, values and opportunities you need.
Internship
Brand Marketing Intern, Blue Shield of California
Lauren Davis MBA 13
By Joanna Corman
Like a hard, game-winning spike that leaves a big impression, Lauren Davis has never forgotten the inspiring words of her junior high school club volleyball coach. “He said, ‘play with heart.’ Everything you do in life should be done with heart and with passion.”
With that advice in mind, Davis has hit the ground running as a first-year Full-Time MBA student. She’s found a new interest in marketing and new business development after a successful career in financial services.
Fabiana Alves MBA 08
Blazing New Trails in Brazil
After a decade in Brazil’s food industry, agronomist Fabiana Alves and her husband, Andre Zeitlin, a veterinarian, were ready for new horizons. In 2004, Andre left his practice to enter the UC Davis MBA program, uprooting with Fabiana and their two young sons from São Paulo to Davis.
“From world-class professors, to classmates who became team partners and close friends, to the unparalleled extracurricular activities, the UC Davis MBA program is an incredible experience–and has opened doors to some fascinating opportunities.”
Rani Chu MBA 11
UC Davis MBA Scholar
Davis is a launch pad to pursue many career opportunities in one of the world’s economic centers: Northern California. With the state capitol, Sacramento, as our neighbor, I was able to explore politics and public administration as a fellow in the Office of Mayor Kevin Johnson. And just an hour’s drive is the San Francisco Bay Area, where I interned at a private food company and am now working at a global semiconductor industry supplier.
Summer Internship
Human Resources Intern Valley Fine Foods, Benicia, Calif.
Jessica Frizell MBA 10
Operations, North Berkeley Imports
Berkeley, Calif.
The School’s strong network in the Bay Area is an amazing asset. Through relationships with alumni in San Francisco, I secured an internship at the world’s largest asset-management company. It’s a rich opportunity to build my skills in both marketing and finance—invaluable experience for my future career.
Internship
U.S. and Canada Institutional Marketing, BlackRock, Inc., San Francisco, Calif.