Meet USC Marshall’s MBA Class Of 2020

Stephen Manney

University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business

An engaging storyteller with a passion for sports, entertainment, and bringing people together.”

Hometown: Novi, MI

Fun Fact About Yourself: My first ever TV interview was with Senator John McCain.  I was a college intern, who was very nervous to be on camera, especially with a former Presidential candidate!

Undergraduate School and Major: Loyola University Chicago; BS – Psychology, BA – Communication

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: WFFF/WVNY-TV (Fox and ABC television in Burlington, VT,) sports anchor/reporter

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: In July of 2016, I was tasked with creating a strategy for my television station’s weekly high school football special. The program was responsible for generating a large sum of advertising revenue, yet viewership had steadily declined after the previous sports director vacated the role in 2014.

I conducted market research to target specific areas for improvement. Viewers reported that they wanted to see more of their friends and family, and less of the star quarterback. In response, we introduced weekly elements showcasing fans, cheerleaders, and lesser-known players.  It was a hit!  As viewership ratings returned, pressure from advertisers curtailed, and the program continues to succeed today.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Accomplished.  I remember the first students I met at orientation. The first was a top-performing management consultant, the next had travelled overseas to start a business in Singapore, and the third was a comedian and cable television producer!

The Marshall class of 2020 is made up of 221 motivated business professionals, each bringing a unique experience and perspective that will help us expand our individual networks, thrive outside our comfort zones, and gain a more holistic understanding of the global business landscape.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? USC Marshall is the best program in the country for careers in the media and entertainment industry and there isn’t much of a debate to be had about it. 13% of the most recent graduating class went that route, dwarfing the margins of any other school.

When I was searching for fit in other programs, I asked students, faculty and alumni if I would be able to leverage the program’s network into management role in television.  Some replied with “maybe,” others said “probably,” but had reservations.  At Marshall, the answer was a definitive “YES!”  I couldn’t be happier with my decision to come to USC and join the expansive Trojan Network.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I can’t wait to experience E2, the largest student-organized conference at USC. The entertainment event brings in top industry professionals and dives into the future of media and entertainment, helping young professionals such as myself learn to navigate the industry’s volatile landscape. Last year’s keynote speaker was Ted Sarandos, the chief content officer for Netflix. Representatives from Warner Bros., Lionsgate, and Roku also made the trip last March. I can’t wait to meet and network with such high-quality professionals.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career?  The industry of television media is changing in a big way. Viewers have shorter attention spans and are far less likely to sit down and watch the thirty minutes of news than they were ten or even five years ago. As a local broadcaster, this is bad news. Television stations across the country are cutting down paychecks and rolling back resources.

Rather than go down with a proverbial sinking ship, I identified this industry shift as an opportunity for growth and development.  I didn’t want to simply work on payroll, I wanted to be on the forefront of innovation. However, I realized that to better position myself, I need to expand my network (USC’s isn’t too shabby) and gain experience in key business disciplines.  Marshall can help me to achieve these goals.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? An MBA is a major investment and pursuing one isn’t a decision I took lightly. I realized the investment was worthwhile when I gained an understanding of my goals and the most direct path to achieve them. I knew that I had potential to succeed in executive positions but lacked the experience to advance. With a Marshall MBA, I know that I’ll make up my investment soon after I graduate and see excellent returns from my career progression.

What other MBA programs did you apply to?NYU Stern, UCLA Anderson, UVA Darden, ASU W.P. Carey, and UNC Kenan-Flagler

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I knew that I wanted to work under the umbrella of the sports, media, and entertainment industries and not every MBA program sends its graduates into those spaces. For me, it was important to consider employment data and uncover which programs had relationships with the companies that I saw myself at.

Beyond that, it simply came down to what felt right. I remember reaching out to a student ambassador at Marshall. I got a response so quickly, I thought it was a bounce-back email! I spoke to that ambassador the next day, and she referred me to another student, who referred me to another. Each member of the Marshall community was so passionate about their professional environment that I felt myself falling in love with the program and knew where I belonged.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? Near the end of my on-air television career, I was offered a contract by my employer which would remove the “interim” tag from my title of sports director, and officially recognize me as the department lead.  The contract included a substantial pay bump as well as a multi-year commitment. It was a contract that I had yearned for over the previous several years, but before signing the dotted line, I needed to engage in some serious introspection.

Was this a role I wanted to hold on a long-term basis? Was the industry landscape trending in a positive direction? Upon realizing that the answer to each of these questions was an unequivocal “no,” I made one of the hardest decisions in my life. I passed on the promotion, bet on myself, and embarked on a journey to become an innovator in the media and entertainment industry.

What do you plan to do after you graduate?

If this were an application essay, I might communicate an answer that articulates a clear, direct career path. The truth is, I’m still exploring all the options that Marshall has to offer. While I don’t know the exact position I will hold in the summer of 2020, I do know that it will check the following boxes:

  •        It will be within the sports, media and entertainment industries.
  •        It will innovate cutting-edge practices and technologies.
  •        It will encourage me to think creatively to solve complex problems with a diverse team.
  •        It will require me to persuade others through oral communication.
  •        It will include an international component that can broaden my cultural intelligence.

The function could be in marketing, strategy, or consulting, and over the next several months, I am eager to explore the many clubs at USC Marshall to discover a path leading towards growth and fulfilment.

Where do you see yourself in five years? While I have enjoyed most days in the media industry, I most anticipated the shows that went above-and-beyond our typical production. For this reason, I look forward to working in a role specializing in marketing and producing pay-per-view level events.

My dream is to work as an executive for an entertainment firm that puts on spectacles unifying diverse audiences all over the globe.  I envision productions so captivating that disparate groups that are able to establish a line of communication leading to collaboration and a mutual respect.  I have a strong interest in combat sports, but see similar opportunities in concerts, eSports, and Broadway-style shows.

I’ll admit, it is a lofty goal for only five years down the line, but it worked for Trojan alum Frank Fertitta.  If he can put the UFC on the map and have a building named for him, I think I can too.

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