Arne Panzer

UCLA, Anderson School of Management

“Father, husband, sports enthusiast, rom-com watcher and crusher of food challenges.”

Hometown: Berlin, Germany

Fun Fact About Yourself: I met my wife when I was 8 years old on a bike trip organized by the company both our fathers worked for. It would take another 12 years before we ever started dating.

Undergraduate School and Major: UC Santa Cruz, Sociology

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: General Mills, Associate Marketing Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:

In 2015, General Mills committed to removing artificial colors and flavors from its cereals. The story was widely covered by media outlets such as the NYT, WSJ, and Good Morning America. While the impact on sales was positive for most brands, Trix cereals decline accelerated. When I began managing Trix in February of 2017, the $40 million brand was declining by -30% year-over-year.

After a month of analyzing the past 25 years of the brand, I arrived at a controversial conclusion – the Trix consumer valued the taste and colorful fun of the old product over the absence of artificial colors and flavors in the new. To save the brand and stem the accelerating decline, we would have to reverse the product reformulation, risking potential PR fallout for the broader cereal portfolio. I understood that this proposal would be widely scrutinized so I needed not just a strong business case, but buy-in from my cross-functional partners and their leadership. Over the next two months, I would refine hundreds of executional details and business projections, building confidence from the cross-functional team as well as leadership within the cereal division. This confidence and trust then culminated the approval by our CEO.

The decision to return to the old Trix formula was covered on the front page of the Wall Street Journal (09/21/17) and the brand itself has experienced tremendous growth since the implementation.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? I am surrounded by people who share an incredible sense of intellectual curiosity. It comes out in class discussions and one-on-one conversations. Everyone understands the opportunity we’ve been given and is looking to learn from their classmate’s experience and perspective. It enables us to grow together, as a collective unit.

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? My wife graduated from Anderson in 2015, so I was exposed to the program for two years as a Sig-O. Throughout this time, I always felt like I was just as much a part of the Anderson community as my then-girlfriend and her classmates. The University enables Sig-O’s to be an intricate part of the experience and the students lived this mindset fully. I wanted my wife to have a very similar sig-O experience during my MBA and I knew that Anderson would offer this.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I, along with many of my classmates, have already embraced the Los Angeles beach volleyball culture to the fullest. We have organized multiple days at the beach to hone our skills, compete, and have fun together. I am looking forward to joining the beach volleyball club to continue to improve and learn from the more seasoned players – I am hoping my 6’8″ frame will make up for all the practice lost while living through the Minneapolis winters.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I had been confident that I would pursue an MBA since my early 20’s, but knew that I needed to gain industry experience to be competitive. More importantly, I needed to understand what I am passionate about and could see myself doing for 30+ years. With this in mind, I joined General Mills in 2016, which allowed me to work with MBA graduates from the best programs nationwide. Additionally, the ability to manage P&L’s helped me better understand how brands and companies analyze the market, build strategies, and implement these changes into the marketplace. When I received the promotion to the post-MBA role at General Mills, I was faced with a difficult decision. On one hand, I had the opportunity to have a great career at a company I loved without taking on student loans. On the other hand, I knew that I would regret foregoing the experience of an MBA program and ultimately pursuing a career in a management consulting.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? Having spoken with dozens of MBA’s from top programs – from recent graduates to those 20 years removed – one theme always emerged: they had the time of their life. Many acknowledged that it accelerated or jump-started their careers, while some felt that it did not make a significant difference in their path. Without fail, everyone from both groups expressed their desire to do the whole thing again if they could. From the friendships they made, the topics they explored in the classroom that did not fall within their areas of expertise, and the countries they traveled to, the MBA was universally acclaimed. As a career switcher, the MBA is a crucial component in my development; as a person, I expect the MBA will be one of the highlights of my life.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I applied to various US-wide programs: Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, and Harvard Business School

How did you determine your fit at various schools? The Career Center services were a key factor in my decision. Alumni, as well as Poets&Quants, are great resources for qualitative feedback. But I also dug into the annual MBA rankings produced by well-known publications. Some clearly lay out the methodology and show how schools rank across a multitude of factors – including the career center. The combination of these inputs gave me a high degree of confidence that UCLA was the place for me.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? In March, my wife and I had our first child. Thinking about her future – and the opportunities I want her to have – continually motivates me to be the best version of myself.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? After graduation, I am hoping to pursue a career in management consulting.

Where do you see yourself in five years? My goal is to be a manager at a large Management Consulting firm. This role will enable me to be in a client-facing role, helping companies shape their strategies and develop junior consultants into leaders.