Jennifer Sigl

Rady School of Management at UC San Diego

“Curious and creative storyteller with an analytical mindset and a deep commitment to community connection.”

Hometown: Gilroy, California

Fun fact about yourself: I am a huge San Diego Padres fan and go to about 10 games every season. There’s no better place to spend a summer evening in San Diego than Petco Park.

Undergraduate School and Degree:

B.A. in Communication, Spanish Studies (double major) from Santa Clara University

M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? I was an independent narrative audio producer working for clients including Goldman Sachs, the Financial Times, Hyperobject Industries and Crooked Media. Prior to that, I was a full-time podcast producer at Sony Music Entertainment.

Where did you intern during the summer of 2025?

XiFin

San Diego, California

Where will you be working after graduation? I am continuing to explore product marketing opportunities within the health tech and technology sectors.

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

President, Women of Rady

Cohort Representative, FT MBA ‘26

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I am most proud of leading Women of Rady as president and, through our events, creating spaces for learning and genuine connection. A big goal I set for myself was to create structure and repeatable processes for future club leaders to do the same. I have been so energized by the new students we brought onto the leadership board and their genuine enthusiasm and dedication to our club’s mission. Women of Rady is in great hands with them.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I am most proud of my producing work on the podcast, Bad Blood: The Final Chapter, which was named Apple’s #1 subscription offering of 2021. It’s a show about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes’ criminal trial hosted and reported by award-winning journalist and author of Bad Blood, John Carreyrou.

Why did you choose this business school? I knew I wanted to build my network and the next stage of my career in San Diego. Rady was the best fit for that goal, given its strong local alumni network and top ranking in the region. The high-touch admissions process and generous fellowship support cemented that it was the place for me.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Professor Uma Karmarkar introduced me to the world of marketing and set me on the path to becoming a product marketer. I loved the case-based discussion format of her course and the high level of intellectual rigor she provided and expected in the classroom. Every marketing class I’ve taken since then has built on the essential foundation she provided.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? Digital Disruption with Professor Thales Teixeira has deepened my marketing acumen faster than any course since Professor Karmarkar’s core Marketing class. His framework of decoupling the customer value chain is one of the most original and insightful tools I’ve learned to develop a truly innovative product idea and business model.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? I loved the Dean’s Circle event that my classmates and I got to be a part of for the last two years. It’s an evening where alumni and donors get to meet us students and see firsthand the impact that fellowships have had on our MBA experience at Rady. I was a student speaker both years and had the opportunity to share what fellowship has meant to me. It’s made all the difference.

What was the most impactful case study you had in business school and what was the biggest lesson you learned from it? The Airbus case from Finance class in first year was one of the hardest and most rewarding cases that stands out in my memory. We had to evaluate a massive and risky capital investment by modeling cash flows, required sales volume and strategic upside. It ended with about 10 of us crammed into a single study room going back and forth arguing the merits of different assumptions and approaches. Five hours later, we agreed on enough to call it quits. We grabbed burritos and went straight to our classmate Luis’ DJ set—a perfect way to end the night. I don’t remember what grade our team got on the case assignment, but I certainly remember the feeling of accomplishing the seemingly impossible.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? San Diego was already home before I started at Rady and for me it’s the best mix of all the things I love. It has beautiful beaches and access to outdoor activities. There’s a thriving and diverse food scene at every price point. It is an increasingly ambitious, innovation-driven hub for health tech, biotech, and technology. The people are kind and the opportunities are ample for those who are curious, collaborative and want to build something meaningful.

What business leader do you admire most? My husband, Troy. Seeing him build his career as a data analytics leader opened my mind to the world of possibility that was out there. Watching him find a place where his ambition could thrive made me want to do the same. I most admire his advocacy-centered management approach and the way he goes to bat for the people who report to him. That’s the kind of manager I want to be someday.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? I took a class this past quarter called AI‑Assisted Customer Analytics. We used Radiant, an R‑based business analytics tool, to build predictive models on customer data. We leveraged logistic regression, tree‑based models and neural networks to do targeting, churn prediction and make next-product-to-buy decisions. We paired this with generative AI tools to break down complex concepts and test our reasoning. I learned that AI can be a powerful learning accelerator, but its impact depends on my ability to critically interpret the model outputs and translate them into concrete marketing actions.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? My classmate Ritik Sinha has been one of my most trusted teammates throughout my MBA. I’ve lost count of how many assignments and projects we’ve worked on together. He’s hardworking, reliable, and one of the smartest people I’ve ever met. My understanding of any case or project or idea is always deepened by having a conversation with him. He’s not satisfied with “good enough” and will consider multiple approaches and perspectives before making an argument for the best one. I think what’s made us such great teammates is both our similarities and our differences, which are complementary in the best way.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

1) Become a senior leader with strong subject matter expertise.

2) Model to others what highly competent and empathetic leadership looks like in the workplace.

What made Jennifer such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026?

“Jennifer Sigl was an invaluable addition to the Class of 2026 because she consistently elevated both the strength of the community and the standard of excellence around her. As President of Women of Rady and the cohort representative, Jennifer demonstrated exceptional leadership rooted in advocacy, initiative, and service. She brought structure, organization, and renewed energy to Women of Rady, while also serving as a thoughtful, empathetic, and trusted voice for her classmates.

What distinguished Jennifer was the quality, consistency, and ripple effect of her impact. Her peers regularly recognized her ability to elevate teamwork, inspire stronger performance, and push others toward excellence rather than “good enough.” She also modeled extraordinary diligence in her own career journey, approaching her internship search with focus, persistence, and intentionality. She worked tirelessly to network and create opportunities for herself, and after securing her internship, her example became a catalyst for others, helping shift the culture of the cohort toward greater urgency, discipline, and engagement in the job search process. Her leadership contributed to one of the highest levels of engagement the Rady School has seen from a full-time MBA class.

Just as importantly, Jennifer led with humility and care. When classmates faced challenges, she was often among the first to offer encouragement, connect them to support, and help them move forward with confidence. While balancing significant leadership responsibilities, a demanding academic load, extensive networking, and a part-time role supporting her summer internship company, she remained deeply committed to lifting others up. Jennifer leaves behind not only an impressive record of achievement, but also a stronger, more engaged community and a model of leadership that will continue to shape future cohorts.”

Bobby Lange
Associate Director, Career Management Center
UC San Diego Rady School of Management

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2026

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