Hao (Hunter) Wang

University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business

“Three lives: dancer, composer, artist manager; now on my fourth striving to be a consultant.”

Hometown: Beijing, China

Fun Fact About Yourself: Prior to my Music Business endeavor, I was a professional ballet dancer, then a film composer.

Undergraduate School and Major: Berklee College of Music, Music Business

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Co-Founder and Artist Manager, Avenir Collective

What has been your first impression of the Marshall MBA students and alumni you’ve met so far. Tell us your best Marshall story so far. I’m deeply impressed with the MBA students and alumni I’ve met at Marshall, seeing the diverse and remarkable backgrounds they come from. My classmates came from various industries and their achievements in their respective fields are very inspiring. What really resonates with me is the sense of community. There are no prejudices here; we all work together, striving to help each other meet our next career goals through this program. Being a part of this incredible group has been an eye-opening experience, and I feel privileged to share this journey with them.

What makes Los Angeles such a great place to earn an MBA? Los Angeles is a melting pot for many different cultures. From a business standpoint, it’s one of the best locations for those looking for breaking into the Entertainment and Technology industries, but it doesn’t fall behind at all to other cities in terms of diverse opportunities. Being able to thrive in one of the biggest cities and navigate through the cultural diversity within the city provides an edge, setting you apart from your peers in a unique way. Additionally, as I am a big foodie, Los Angeles has so many delicious food from all over the world. There will never be a dull adventure seeking for a satisfying dinner.

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? I’m going to sound like a broken record here, but it is the Trojan Network. I lived in Los Angeles for seven years before pursuing MBA, and I’ve witnessed the effects of this network first-hand. I have multiple friends who graduated from USC, and I’ve seen how they are genuinely willing to help each other, open to assist or connect with people reaching out from the network, and never dismiss them. Even if they were unable to help, they would think of a classmate or another alumnus who could help them. This is a community of professional, and passionate individuals, and being able to be a part of this network was incredibly important to me in making my decision.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at USC Marshall? The Consulting Club and the Marshall interactive gaming association excite me the most. These two fields align with my strongest passions, and I’m eager to explore the activities they offer to assist us in preparing for the next stages of our careers. I’m also looking forward to learning from the experiences of second-year students and discovering the sparks and inspirations that may ignite among us as we delve into these exciting industries.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:  One of the most significant accomplishments in my career thus far was executive producing and helping publish a debut album for one of my new artists in the summer of 2022. This album quickly topped the new music chart, experimental chart, hip-hop chart, and R&B chart within the first month of its release in China and Hong Kong. The leading single alone amassed over 6 million streams in the first week. This success captured opportunities for TV show appearances and collaborations with established talents and attracted multiple record deal offers. Once unsure about pursuing this career, the artist became extremely thankful for sticking with our plan and can now make a good living doing what he loves. The ability to build artists, help them succeed in their careers, and create meaningful music is a profoundly gratifying experience for me.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into USC Marshall’s MBA program? Be authentically you. It’s normal to feel like you might not have the same business background as some of your peers, but that’s perfectly fine here. Initially, I thought I was at a disadvantage due to my unconventional working experience. I didn’t come from investment banking, hadn’t done consulting, and didn’t follow a traditional college path. However, upon arriving here, I realized that everyone’s uniqueness is valued, and our individual stories make us optimal candidates for the program. Embrace your distinctiveness and don’t underplay your unique, exciting experiences, whether in work or life. Be confident in who you are and the journey that’s led you here.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE MBA CLASS OF 2025: INSPIRING, INVENTIVE, IMPACTFUL