Janene Collins
Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California
“Tall, funny, skeptical, optimistic, linear, curious, sanguine, intense, direct, frequent flyer, skier.”
Age: 48
Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Family Members: Parents, brother, sister-in-law, nieces
Fun fact about yourself: Letter to the Editor, published in Vogue Magazine, September, 1999
Undergraduate School and Degree: BA, Georgetown University; JD, University of Michigan Law School
Where are you currently working? The Boeing Company. Director, Sourcing, Supply Chain, Commercial Airplanes
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles: Skiing, Pike Place Market Foundation
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Nominated to Beta Gamma Sigma, nice to be recognized for academic achievement
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I am proud of the number of different roles I’ve held in my career, because of (and in spite of) my law degree. I anticipate added versatility because of (and in spite of) my MBA!
Who was your favorite MBA professor? Professor Moyer, he pushed the class to do our best work
What was your favorite MBA course and what was the biggest insight you gained about business from it? Global Strategy, the course highlighted how international strategy connects to operations and drives growth.
Why did you choose this executive MBA program? For focus on general manager role in business performance
What did you enjoy most about business school in general? Being back in the classroom after 20 years away
What is the biggest lesson you gained during your MBA and how did you apply it at work? How to effectively collaborate in diverse teams to achieve a common goal.
Give us a story during your time as an executive MBA on how you were able to juggle work, family and education? I leave the office every other Thursday afternoon to fly to LA for school on Friday and Saturday. The Senior Managers on my team organize briefings on Thursday afternoons to prep for Friday and make sure my inbox is loaded with everything I need for Monday, so when I get back on Sunday afternoon, I go straight to the office to prepare for the upcoming week. I owe my team (Barbara, Dan, Heather, Katie and Kristi, to name just a few) a huge thanks for keeping everything running while I completed school.
What advice would you give to a student looking to enter an executive MBA program? Build a strong network so you can lean on them when you need to.
What is the biggest myth about going back to school? I try not to engage in myths, instead I take baby steps and adjust expectations along the way.
What was your biggest regret in business school? I have no regrets.
Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Sharon Wang because she is very good at building networks across professional, personal, and academic colleagues.
“I knew I wanted to go to business school when…I transitioned out of my company’s law department to a business role.”
“If I hadn’t gone to business school, I would be…Skiing more.”
What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? Being fully prepared to capture unexpected opportunities
In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you? Janene is firm but always fair and fun.
Favorite book: The Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad.
Favorite movie or television show: Movie: Goodfellas; TV: Game of Thrones
What are the top two items on your bucket list? Stay a month at Whistler; repeat.
DON’T MISS: THE ENTIRE LIST OF 100 BEST & BRIGHTEST EXECUTIVE MBA GRADS OF 2018
