Sadhvi Mathur

UCLA, Anderson School of Management

“Former digital marketing manager, freelance writer, volunteer crisis counselor, and former competitive Indian dancer.”

Hometown: Cypress, Texas

Fun Fact About Yourself: I am a Marvel Cinematic Universe enthusiast, to the extent that I have watched every Marvel movie multiple times and seen every movie release from Phase Four on opening day/weekend. I hope to keep this tradition alive with my classmates while I’m at Anderson.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of California, Berkeley. Double major in economics and media studies.

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Shutterfly LLC, Senior Social Media Specialist II

UCLA Anderson is founded on the Three Pillars: Share Success, Think Fearlessly, and Drive Change. Which pillar resonates most with you and why? Anderson’s “Share Success” pillar resonates the most with me because it aligns most with my values and the way I want to treat people during my MBA program. As a volunteer crisis counselor, I believe in leading with support and empathy and, as a result, I always try to help people as much as I can. Thus, when I visited Anderson at AROW and A-Days as an admitted student, I was inspired by how supportive, helpful, and kind the students were toward not only us (the admitted students) but also each other. This pervasive attitude of sharing success and leading with kindness is truly what sets Anderson apart, and it’s what ultimately convinced me to choose Anderson for my MBA.

What makes Los Angeles such a great place to earn an MBA? Many metropolitan hubs in the United States are strong in a few industries—such as tech in the Bay Area and oil and gas in Houston. Los Angeles is one of the few cities in this country that has a strong presence in almost every industry that an MBA candidate could want—finance, consulting, entertainment, tech, health care, and more! This provides incredible opportunities for students to explore multiple industries and career opportunities in their own backyard. Furthermore, the weather in Los Angeles is worth calling out. It’s not just that Los Angeles’ beachy climate makes for good hikes and surfing (though that is true). It’s also that Los Angeles’ idyllic weather makes it very easy for MBA students from all over the world to adjust so that they can focus on their studies and recruitment. After all, nobody wants to deal with rain, snow, and other weather-related concerns while also trying to adjust to being a full-time student again!

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of UCLA Anderson’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The nationally-ranked Parker Career Center was a huge reason why I decided to come to Anderson. From the moment I was admitted, it was clear to me that the Parker team was invested in my career success and was willing to offer everything they could to help me get there.

For example, before I had even committed to Anderson, the Parker team offered 1-on-1 advising appointments where we had frank conversations about what MBA program would be best for me to achieve my ultimate career goals in the media and entertainment industry. I met with Jenna Dobrin, and she gave me kind and honest advice on my career journey that I am still carrying with me as I start at Anderson.

This commitment continued once we arrived on campus. We were all automatically enrolled in the Parker Career Series, which is meant to prep us for our recruiting season starting as early as August. The Parker team also held 101 sessions in popular MBA industries and functions, encouraging all students to shop around and see what career paths interest them most. Finally, we were assigned a Parker advisor and were able to start working with them as early as the third week of summer quarter.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at UCLA Anderson? I am greatly looking forward to DOJ (Days on the Job) week at UCLA Anderson. Anderson shows a clear commitment to its students’ career success by letting students take a week off from classes to meet with companies all over the country in their intended field or function. I look forward to using DOJ week to enhance my network and make connections with some of my dream companies.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I was able to drive $13M+ incremental revenue in my previous role as a digital advertiser by establishing a multi-department A/B testing program. The company CMO had challenged the department to take more risks in our advertising, test new strategies, and drive additional KPI growth. With this directive, I worked with external consultants to establish a bi-weekly sprint testing cadence, secure internal resources for test execution, define our A/B testing methodology, and specify parameters for A/B test success.

Once the testing structure was in place, I ran ~14 A/B tests in one year and secured statistically significant wins amounting to ~$13M+ in incremental revenue per year. The A/B testing program that I worked to establish is still running in my department today.

What do you hope to do after graduation (at this point)? At this point, I hope to work in the media and entertainment industry after graduation, ideally in TV, film, or streaming. I am currently deciding whether I would want a content strategy or product marketing role. Specifically, I would love to get involved in news media within 3 to 5 years of graduating. My career passion is to help unbiased news media maintain relevance and popularity in the digital age so that Americans can stay informed of the major issues facing our world. I’m hoping that my MBA will eventually help me pivot out of digital marketing and into a role that will help me achieve this dream.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into UCLA Anderson’s MBA program? Everyone has a unique story to tell, and UCLA Anderson wants to hear yours. UCLA Anderson is a campus that champions diversity, so no matter who you are or what your background is, your perspective is welcome at Anderson. The students who get admitted to Anderson are not just those who have great career and academic achievements (though that is certainly a hallmark of the class), but rather those who can bring their authentic selves and a new perspective to the campus and their classmates.

In other words, be honest and forthcoming when applying to Anderson. Don’t tell the admissions committee what they want to hear. Tell them who you really are, what your passions are, and what your goals are. Let your personality shine through!

DON’T MISS: MEET UCLA ANDERSON’S MBA CLASS OF 2025