Top Los Angeles Museum Group Hires Zicklin Grad to Lead Strategy in Newly Created Post
July 12, 2021“Zicklin MBA degrees aren’t just for Wall Streeters and consultants,” says Zicklin alumna Shana Mathur (MBA, ’06). Case in point: Shana recently became the Chief Strategy and External Relations Officer of the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC), the organization overseeing the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County as well as the La Brea Tar Pits and the William S. Hart Museum.
Shana Mathur, MBA ’06
In this newly created position, which reports directly to NHMLAC’s president, Shana is responsible for the institution’s strategy and execution as well as branding, marketing, communications, and customer experience functions, while stewarding diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. She has a long career of successful nonprofit leadership, most notably a decade as Chief Marketing Officer for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. She sat down for a Q&A with Zicklin News about her latest success.
Zicklin News: You earned a BA in anthropology from the University of Wisconsin. What was your path to attending Zicklin’s Evening MBA program?
Shana Mathur: I studied anthropology because I am fascinated by the ways humans create connection, meaning, and systems of learning and adaptation. This built my foundation as a marketer. Also at Wisconsin, I was introduced to the arts and the world of arts administration through the magnificent student union, where I directed the art galleries. From there I was able to secure a fellowship at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and that launched my career in the arts, leading eventually to a role as Director of Marketing at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
While at BAM, I realized I wanted to learn more about marketing, operations, finance, and management. It was time to pursue my graduate studies. I decided on an MBA because I felt it would formalize and enhance my knowledge and skills, but more importantly help me be of even greater service to the arts.
ZN: Why did you choose the Zicklin School?
SM: As an arts professional, affordability was a huge factor. Also, I worked full time and attended performances in the evenings, so I needed a flexible program. Third, I didn’t want an arts administration degree, but rather a broader business education that I could apply to the nonprofit space and beyond. Finally, it was important to me that I was learning alongside an international student body. The arts are global and cultural connections are critical to success in the field.
ZN: What was your MBA concentration?
SM: I chose marketing management because I knew I wanted to work in cultural nonprofits and I was on the executive/leadership track. I thought marketing management would provide comprehensive information about how to apply marketing practices and understand how it impacts the bigger picture.
ZN: What were some of your favorite classes and professors?
SM: I remember really liking the professor of my basic marketing class — the first I took at Zicklin. I also liked my advertising professor, who in addition to giving us the secrets to writing great advertising copy, gave us an assignment to do a research study and build an advertising strategy for a product of our choice. I made a lifelong friend in that class, whom I eventually worked with in LA.
ZN: What was your favorite thing about the program?
SM: At Zicklin, all of the students were united by the desire to get a strong education that was affordable and flexible. Students came from all over the world to attend the school, which created energy and discipline in the classroom.
ZN: Can you talk about how your Zicklin MBA prepared you for your career?
SM: Yes! It helped me focus and the fact that I was working simultaneously was important — I was able to apply what I learned right away. I felt like I was part of a learning community again, with like-minded people, and that I could make the education work for me and my aspirations in the nonprofit world.