Austen Mount

UCLA, Anderson School of Management

“Real-estate-enthused, vagabonding, half-Kiwi with a passion for environmental sustainability.”

Hometown: Olympia, WA and Eastbourne, New Zealand

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve backpacked through more than 45 countries.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of California, Santa Barbara (Business Economics, Accounting Emphasis)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: The New Home Company (NWHM), Finance Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I led development and implementation of a new system of financial models for two NWHM divisions, training finance teams on streamlined processes and reducing the monthly per project preparation time by more than 60%.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? One of Anderson’s core values is “Share Success.” During the application process it’s easy to assume these values just pay lip service to certain ideals, but everyone I’ve had the opportunity to work with has gone above-and-beyond to offer support. Whether it’s sharing their personal list of industry contacts or keeping you in the loop on free passes to the latest industry conferences, Anderson students really do share success.

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? The UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate was a huge driver in my decision to attend Anderson. I reached out to the Center prior to applying to the program and was absolutely blown away by the response. The staff were highly personable and provided me with an extensive list of resources and articles relevant to my request. Additionally, the Anderson alumni with whom I spoke had nothing but great things to say about the support they received during the program.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? The Anderson Real Estate Association will certainly be a big area of focus while I am in the program. I’m particularly looking forward to participating in case competitions and getting involved with club leadership.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I left a really great environment at my last company because I wanted to transition from the residential to the commercial real estate sector. With land becoming increasing scarce and expensive in the Los Angeles area, I think the future is in building up rather than out. I want to position myself to be a part of the transition and push the industry in a more environmentally-conscious direction.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? The opportunity to learn alongside some of the best and brightest in one of the greatest cities in the world was a chance I couldn’t pass up. Further, I consider it an expense that can be amortized over the remainder of my career. Thinking of it within that framework makes it a lot less daunting.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? USC Marshall, UT Austin McCombs, UC Berkeley Haas 

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I visited every school to which I applied and spoke with both current students and alumni. I made a point of asking each of them if there were any changes they would like to see made to the program. I found the question tended to receive honest and insightful responses. Location was also a major consideration.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? After living in New Zealand for seven years as a child, I distinctly remember my first day back in the States and being amazed at just how big everything seemed – houses, cars, even the grocery store. This perspective stuck with me and helped shaped my belief that, to create more sustainable living spaces, U.S. cities should learn from other countries’ example and begin to strategically downsize the average home.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? I will be pursuing an investments or acquisitions role with a real estate investment management or private equity firm.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years, I hope to be spearheading investment activity for projects in the Los Angeles area. I am particularly interested in sustainability, and there are some incredible new technologies on the horizon which I think will change environmental standards and the way people interact with the built environment. I plan to be on the cutting edge in terms of advocating for these new technologies and integrating them into local real estate projects.