Joanna Alice Sippetts

University of California, Riverside, School of Business | A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management (AGSM)

“Inquisitive and hard-working, I love sports and traveling, meeting new people and exploring new environments!”

Hometown: London, United Kingdom

Fun Fact About Yourself: I lived in Greece throughout the three summers during my undergraduate years working as a tennis coach at Mark Warner sports-orientated resorts.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Nottingham, United Kingdom, Human Geography

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Lawn Tennis Association, Accreditation Coordinator at the Nottingham Open 2022

What word best describes the UC Riverside MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far? Welcoming—specifically fellow MBA students and alumni, yet this notably is true with all students from undergraduate to master’s whom I have met. Everybody has such diverse and interesting backgrounds, and I find it especially insightful to ask questions and learn more. Experiences and backgrounds of students on the MBA course and at UCR more widely are so inspiring, and I have felt extremely welcomed and energized coming into the program. I very much look forward to the continuation of the quarter, and the year ahead.

Aside from classmates, what was the key part of UC Riverside’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? It really was my interactions with such an engaging, insightful and informative AGSM team. This happened during video calls I arranged before I applied to understand more about the school and get a feel for UCR; regular email interactions with staff for further information and during post-application and course acceptance; and the support online before students arrived on campus. Reflecting upon my application, speaking with Tamra Johnson, Abigail Wheeler, and Professor Rami Zwick absolutely enhanced my motivation to attend UCR. I have always thought that it is perhaps the small initial interactions in life that often lead to having the greatest impact. There is a definite presence and enthusiasm among staff and students in so many areas of the graduate school and UCR more widely. This absolutely increased my excitement and confidence in moving more than 5,000 miles to pursue my MBA degree as an international student from the UK to the U.S.!

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at UC Riverside? The Surf Club at UCR! Heading to a university on the West Coast, I was especially excited to explore all of the sporting options here. Having only surfed a few times before at home, I was keen to involve myself in beach-based sports alongside tennis, considering that there is great accessibility here to some of the best SoCal surf spots! The Surf Club committee and members are so welcoming, and the club is very proactive in arranging trips to the coast to surf, enjoy food, and catch up—so this has been a fabulous balance of coursework and engaging with the sporting sphere here at UCR.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: The biggest career accomplishment is my invitation to work throughout Wimbledon 2022 on the events team with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). This came as a result of my previous work with the LTA coordinating the accreditation of all the players and staff at the Nottingham Rothesay Open tennis tournaments in 2021 and 2022.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? It was my selection as an AGSM student ambassador during my first month at UCR. I am particularly enthusiastic to represent UCR, to help create events and opportunities within the AGSM, and to expand my own professional networks within this role. I am especially excited to work with such a super and assertive team of fellow ambassadors.

What is your class’s favorite hangout away from school? Why do you gather there? Maintaining the surfing theme, it definitely has to be the beach—catching up during the road trip, exploring new beaches, and finding amazing food spots. There are endless possibilities here on the West Coast, and so much is very accessible from Riverside. I look forward to the year ahead and all the adventures that we pursue.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? During my undergraduate degree at the University of Nottingham, I studied human geography, a subject that is a passion and interest of mine. I had a plan post-undergrad to follow a legal career, so I engaged with all the legal networking events, insight days, and legal committee roles while earning my undergraduate degree. However, several of my roles really opened my eyes to some aspects of management and marketing. These include the Lawn Tennis Association events team at pre-Wimbledon tennis events, the coordination and organization of legal events for students as a career officer with the University of Nottingham Law Society, and involvement with the Women in Law Society. I always love exploring new places and leaping into new situations, so I thought instead of settling in London, I wanted to study abroad and be in a fully new environment. So, pursuing a stand-out MBA program (and the sun!), I chose to pursue an MBA at UCR!

My career goals during and post-MBA are to continue my exploration within management, marketing, and event operations in the professional sporting sphere, or to explore recruitment and admissions within higher education. These particular roles would utilize my strong interpersonal skills and allow me to immerse myself in both the customer-facing “front of house” as well as the processes “behind the scenes” in the operations and management of either a large sporting organization or academic institution.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE UC RIVERSIDE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS MBA CLASS OF 2024