Justin Owens MBA 20

Global Design Thinking Leader, IBM Inc.

"My UC Davis MBA journey has taught me to savor the experiences in life, don’t get bogged down into the details and never give up on your dreams"

Work Experience

  • IBM Inc., Global Design Thinking Leader, Senior Managing Strategy Consultant
  • Safeway Inc.,  Mobile Design Strategy Lead, Product Manager, Engineering/Architecture Manager
  • Kaiser Permanente,  I.T. System Development Manager, Process Design Consultant, Project Lead
  • Roche Pharmaceuticals,  Supervising Chemist
  • UC Davis Medical Center, Research Associate

Previous Degrees

  • B.S., Molecular Biology, University of California, Davis
  • Post Graduate Certification “Managing Technology Professionals," California State University, Sacramento

Student Leadership and Experience

  • Guest speaker in UC Davis MBA Consumer Behavior course on careers in design thinking with business applications.
  • One-on-one mentor in design thinking framework and execution in independent study courses (foundation and practicum courses) to promote UC Davis GSM students as design thinkers.
  • Arranged visits by GSM students to industry leading IBM Design Studios / Cognitive Centers around the world to promote and enrichment student’s future employment opportunities (e.g. International Study Trips to Prague, Tokyo, San Francisco).

Fun Facts

  • I am an avid traveler. I've been to over 28 countries, savoring the sights, sounds and food of the world with friends.
  • I love basketball and attend quarterly adult basketball camps around the United States which have helped me create a “it’s never too late” mentality.
  • My grandfather was a professional baseball player, coach and manager for the San Francisco Giants, Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox organizations.