Ian Hause

USC, Marshall School of Business

“Leader. Collaborator. Inspired through working with others and best described as the Nerdy Energizer Bunny.”

Hometown: Sacramento, CA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I only sleep 4 hours a night and do not touch caffeine

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Arizona, Eller College of Management: Business Administration Undergraduate; University of Arizona, Eller College of Management: MS Finance Graduate

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Farmers and Merchants Bank of Long Beach, Portfolio Banker

What word best describes the Marshall MBA students you’ve met so far and why? Ambitious

This year marks the beginning of a unique opportunity for many individuals in our class who maximized the “pause button” that was the pandemic. USC Marshall has provided us with numerous tools to accelerate our career aspirations and we are all ambitiously taking advantage. To say the class is excited would be an understatement.

What makes Los Angeles such a great place to earn an MBA? Los Angeles allows students to live in one of the greatest places on the planet. From the beaches to the unlimited social opportunities, Los Angeles provides students with activities around the clock. Additionally, the job market out here is booming. From entertainment to start-ups, companies are always on the lookout for talent. California is the nation’s largest economy and is only growing. By earning an MBA in one of the focal points of industry and social entertainment in the world, MBA students are guaranteed to have an amazing experience.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of USC Marshall’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? When speaking to the many students and alumni before making my decision, one key indicator rose above the rest: The Marshall Family. There’s just something different about the Marshall Family that rises above any of other MBA-driven alumni network: they are all fanatics about seeing you be successful.

I have many family members who have attended other prestigious MBA programs across the country, and even they will admit that the Marshall Family is unique in its love for students and alumni. In 20 years, people won’t remember your grades, summer internship, or first post-MBA job. They will remember Marshall Family. I spoke to an alumnus recently about the Marshall Family and she described it in 3 simple sentences: “We will always take the call. We will always pay it forward. We will always Fight On!” These people love USC and love the Marshall MBA students. We couldn’t ask for a better alumni environment.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at USC Marshall? The Marshall Finance Association: I intend on pivoting into investment banking after my time at Marshall and that club absolutely jazzed me up about going into that industry. The tools they offer to students looking to become associates at investment banks is incredible. Last year, USC was in the Top 5 percentage-wise of schools across the country in placement to bulge bracket banks. Pretty incredible stat. Additionally, the club supports a wide range of other finance-based career accelerations/pivots and will work with anyone who’s willing to put in the hard work.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: The Paycheck Protection Program in 2020. When the pandemic struck the nation last year, many small businesses were fighting for their lives. The PPP gave many small businesses life in a seemingly unrecoverable period. As a front-line worker and my Bank’s local leader for the program, I was responsible for providing clarity to our clients. Quantitatively, my team disbursed over $60 million in funds to over 400 small businesses in the Southern California region with a mean loan amount of $42,000. I will never forget the many tears of joy coming from our clients who were thankful just to have their businesses survive.

How did COVID-19 change your perspective on your career and your life in general? COVID-19 changed many aspects of our lives and will permanently alter many things going forward. Professionally, COVID-19 taught me the importance of collaboration through difficulty. COVID-19 challenged our team immensely. Because we had strong, respectful relationships and understood each person’s role within the team, we prevailed, and more importantly, rallied to our community in their time of need.

Personally, I have become much more appreciative. I lost a few loved ones and fell ill myself to COVID-19. The disease is no joke. However, to see the American people come together to support each other has been incredible. From dropping off food for those who cannot leave the house to simply reaching out during the tough time, my faith in my community and country has never been stronger.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? To be honest, although I really enjoyed my job and the people I worked with, I felt my ambitions stretched beyond where I was in life. I looked at an MBA as an opportunity to accelerate my career and personal aspirations and put me in a position that I knew I could succeed. After graduation, I want to continue accelerating my career and continue having fun with like-minded individuals. The resources and community at Marshall have and will allow me to do that for the rest of my life.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Columbia, UT Austin

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into USC Marshall’s MBA program? Simple: Give us a call. The staff is friendly and will be honest with you. The students are the same way. When reaching out to other schools, one thing stood out: USC always picked up the phone. And when I had a question, it was answered within 24 hours. When speaking to the students, everyone was direct, honest, and promptly scheduled a time to chat. No person at USC will give you the runaround or ignore you. There is no stupid question you can ask. We will answer all of your questions. The combination of common sense judgement and communication from the students and staff was one the core reasons I chose USC. Even though we are all busy, we will always take the call for an ambitious individual looking to join our Family. Hope to hear from you!

DON’T MISS: MEET USC MARSHALL’S MBA CLASS OF 2023