Leila Hoffpauir

Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford

“Former news producer exploring the systems that shape media, journalism, and tech.”

Hometown: Huntsville, Alabama

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve visited more than 30 countries.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Southern California, School of Cinematic Arts

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: NBC News NOW, Producer

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Oxford Saïd’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? Aside from my classmates, the most important factor in choosing Oxford Saïd was the school’s intentional focus on recruiting students from a wide range of professional and personal backgrounds. Coming from a non-traditional MBA background, I knew I wanted something that kept me open to as many opportunities as possible, and Oxford Saïd felt like a place where that was true. I wanted to be in an environment where I could ask questions without fear of being diminished for not knowing something, and where my prior experience would be seen as a value-add rather than something to gloss over. At Oxford Saïd, curiosity is encouraged, diverse perspectives are treated as assets, and unconventional paths are respected. Since I knew I was coming into this experience to pivot from direct media production into the strategic side of the business, that culture was the deciding factor for me.

What course, club, or activity has been your favorite part of the Oxford Saïd MBA experience? One of my favourite parts of the Oxford Saïd MBA experience so far has been joining The Oxford Student, the university-wide, student-run newspaper, as a Business and Finance Editor. After my first term, I realised that while I was deeply engaged academically, I was missing journalism and writing, which was central to my daily life before the MBA. Joining the paper allowed me to reintegrate that part of myself into my time at Oxford. What’s made the experience especially rewarding is that this is a new section for the paper. As a result, it has given me the opportunity to help shape it from the ground up, develop new segments, and think creatively about how to make business reporting accessible and engaging for a broad readership. It’s been energizing to blend my past experiences with my current studies and contribute in a way that feels both familiar and forward-looking.

What is the most “Oxford” thing you have done so far as a full-time MBA student? It was probably attending the historic white tie ball at Merton College. It felt very Oxford in the best way, one of those experiences you do not really expect to become part of your normal routine as a student.

Oxford is known as a place where world collides, be it in the classroom or the dining hall. What has been the most interesting interaction you’ve had so far as an Oxford MBA student? One of the most interesting interactions I have had so far as an Oxford MBA student came through the Oxford Union, where I had the opportunity to attend a conversation and debate featuring Conan O’Brien and then join him for dinner afterward. Having spent years freelancing and interning in late-night television, it was a surreal and meaningful experience to engage with someone whose work had shaped much of my early career in media. It was a moment where my past in media intersected with my present at Oxford in a way that felt both unexpected and affirming.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: My biggest career accomplishment to date was helping to launch The News with Shepard Smith on CNBC. I spent two years working on the show, building a general news program in primetime on a network traditionally-focused on financial coverage. Being part of that launch meant contributing to everything from shaping the editorial vision to navigating the operational challenges of producing a new format at scale. While the show ended, the experience remains my proudest accomplishment. It confirmed for me that I thrive in high-stakes, collaborative environments, where teams are tasked with building something ambitious from the ground up. That experience also clarified my long-term goals. I want to continue working on large, complex projects at the intersection of media and technology, where innovation, execution, and teamwork matter just as much as the outcome.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? My biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far has been serving as the Communications Officer on the MBA Student Council. In this role, I have had the opportunity to collaborate closely with fellow council members while also working with school leadership and administration to represent the needs and perspectives of the class. Acting as a bridge between students and the broader Oxford Saïd community has been both challenging and rewarding, and it has reinforced the importance of clear communication, alignment, and collaboration in building a strong student experience.

Oxford Saïd is considered a mission-driven MBA program. What social issue resonates most with you? How do you plan to use your career path to address this issue? The social issue that resonates most with me is access to accurate, trustworthy information. I initially went into news production because I believed deeply in the importance of getting information to the people who need it, especially during moments of uncertainty or change. Spending years inside newsrooms gave me a firsthand understanding of how information is created, distributed, and sometimes distorted. Over time, that exposure clarified that I did not want to just participate in the news cycle. Instead, I wanted to be part of the effort to combat disinformation at a more systemic level.

As media and technology become increasingly intertwined, the challenge of misinformation has moved well beyond traditional journalism. Addressing it requires an understanding of platforms, incentives, policy, and technology alongside editorial judgment. That is where the MBA fits into my long-term goals. Through Oxford Saïd, I am building the strategic, operational, and leadership skills needed to work on large, complex initiatives in media and tech that shape how information reaches the people who need it. Ultimately, I want to contribute to teams that design responsible systems for information distribution, combining my background in journalism with a broader business and institutional perspective to help restore trust in the information ecosystem.

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