2017 Best MBAs: Lynn Compton, UCLA (Anderson)

Lynn Compton

UCLA, Anderson School of Management

Age: 31

Fun fact about yourself: At 5’11”, I’m the shortest person in my family!

Hometown: Boulder City, Nevada

Undergraduate School and Degree: New York University – Bachelor of Fine Arts; Bachelor of Science, Nursing

Where did you work before enrolling in business school? Clinical Nurse II in the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center

Where did you intern during the summer of 2016? McKinsey & Company, Los Angeles

Where will you be working after graduation? McKinsey & Company, Senior Implementation Coach

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: First Year: Director of Business Development (Services), Healthcare Business Association. Second Year: VP of Business Development (Services), Healthcare Business Association; Anderson Career Teams Coach (Consulting). Extracurricular: Advisory Board Member, Venice Family Clinic.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I’m very proud of the work my Applied Management Research (AMR) team has done on our master’s thesis project. We are working with the Human Science Research Council in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa to develop a sustainable system for the screening and treatment of non-communicable diseases in the low-income rural population. In addition to pushing me as a clinician, a manager and an educator, this work has taught me volumes about the challenges of non-profit management and global public health.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I’m very proud of the work I did as a member of the UCLA Health System’s Ebola Response Team during the 2014-2015 outbreak. It was incredible experience to help a large organization rapidly mobilize in the face of an international public health crisis.

Favorite MBA Courses? Professor Tom Wurster’s “Insight to Outcome” felt like a capstone course for my summer consulting internship.

Why did you choose this business school? I loved working at UCLA and I wanted to stay local. I knew that Anderson would give me access to all the top healthcare companies and consulting firms. Finally, I had no business background and I wanted to be in a smaller program where I would get more hands-on support from my professors and the career center.

What did you enjoy most about business school? I loved having such a diverse group of classmates. It was an incredible opportunity to meet people from a wide array of industries, functions, cultures and geographies.

What was the most surprising thing about business school? I was definitely surprised at how quickly recruiting started. I’m grateful that our Parker Career Center provided us with a wealth of preparatory resources the summer before first year.

What was the hardest part of business school? Prioritizing! Every day you are presented with some incredible opportunity that you have to say no to because there just aren’t enough hours in the day.

What’s your best advice to an applicant to your school? Use the application process to get really clear on your strengths and what you want to do after graduation. In addition to strengthening your application, this will help you during recruiting.

“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I decided that I wanted to go into healthcare consulting and I realized that I didn’t have the skill set.”

“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…working at the bedside and I miss patient care!”

Which executive or entrepreneur do you most admire? I really respect the work Kent Thiry has done at DaVita. His ability to translate clinical excellence into financial success is truly inspirational.

What are your long-term professional goals? During my consulting career, I hope to focus on provider service operations. I’m very interested in labor and I hope to help make hospitals safer for patients and better places to work for the incredible physicians, nurses, and support staff who work so hard to take care of them.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? My fiancé Andy for supporting me through all of the ups and downs of this very exciting and tumultuous period of my life.

Favorite book: Little House on the Prairie

Favorite movie: Roman Holiday

Favorite musical performer: Taylor Swift

Favorite television show: Game of Thrones

Favorite vacation spot: Provence

Hobbies? Hiking, traveling, photography

What made Lynn such an invaluable addition to the class of 2017?

“Lynn has been a valuable member of the Anderson community in numerous ways. From her incredibly interesting pre-MBA career as an ICU nurse at UCLA Medical Center, she made a successful and significant career transition into management consulting by diligently and proactively utilizing the variety of resources offered at UCLA Anderson. While making this transition during her first year, she participated actively in both consulting and healthcare programs and communities at UCLA Anderson, and as a 2nd Year MBA, she brought together her expertise in both fields and took on leadership roles. For the Healthcare Business Association (HBA), she was the VP of Business Development – Services, building the club’s corporate relationships and helping organize the HBA Career Night and Healthcare Conference as well as several DOJ visits to partner organizations across the region. On the management consulting front, she was one of Parker CMC’s Anderson Career Team Coaches, a selective position where she advised a group of approximately 15 first year students through the consulting recruitment process. Lynn also volunteered countless hours in providing consulting case preparation training to first year students. Lynn’s journey serves as a blueprint for others looking to make difficult career transitions during business school. We have no doubt that she is going to make an extraordinary impact at McKinsey and for their clients as well.”

Chris Weber

Director of Advising and Outreach, Management Consulting, Social Impact, Retail

UCLA Anderson

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