For Tyler Wozny, a career change wasn’t in the cards. As an investment man-
ager advising high-net-worth individuals, Tyler was already on his way to
success in the financial world. Studying for an MBA in San Francisco was
the shock to the system he needed to discover the tech startup scene—and he
hasn’t looked back.
VP Digital Experience
MBA
Class of 2013
San Francisco, US
linkedin.com/in/tylerwozny
Tyler Wozny
“The beautiful part of San Francisco and Silicon Valley is
that you can build your own path,” says Tyler, now sev-
en years into life on the West Coast. Though the area’s
appeal is well-documented, the decision to part ways
from his stable (and lucrative) career in finance was no
small feat: “It was an absolute emotional, physical ego
risk—I cut my income by two-thirds, in a city where
I knew no one. It feels good to be here now, but at the
time it was incredibly scary.”
It was the MBA program that “allowed the newness
to come into my life,” as Tyler puts it. The combination
of study and internship—new concepts and different
work environment—created an experience “that really
allowed me to understand that this was the right direc-
tion for me. One without the other may have been
interesting, but those two pieces together drove me
forward.”
That internship, at wearables startup Lively, quickly
became a full-time role upon graduation—with the
10
company offering the hands-on, multiple-hat-wearing
environment that has become synonymous with San
Francisco: “We had an office in the Presidio. I drove my
yellow Vespa to work every day. We were a small team—
I was the sixth employee. It was the classic startup expe-
rience, and I loved every minute of it.”
Determined to test ecommerce at the other end of
the business spectrum, Tyler joined beauty giant Sephora,
before taking his current role as vice president of digital
experience for hair color experts Madison Reed. Today,
he ensures that customers receive the best possible brand
experience across omnichannel touchpoints. But could
he be convinced to change track once again?
“Absolutely. The fabulous part of being in industry is
that the opportunities are endless—there are always
new businesses popping up, new problem sets. I expect
that whichever future role I have, I’ll pull from my pre-
vious careers into that role too. That’s how you create
something different from what others are doing.”
Career Change
Marcelo Tournier
What do doctors and data scientists have in com-
mon? In the 21st century, more than you’d think.
Dr. Marcelo Tournier, a 2019 business analytics
graduate, is combining his passion for technolo-
gy with years of hands-on experience as a physi-
cian, having switched his native Brazil for Silicon
Valley. His unexpected career twist may just bene-
fit the lives of millions of Americans in years to come.
It takes roughly a decade to become a
licensed physician. Given the education
costs, intensive training, and personal
sacrifices involved, what does it feel
like to leave this most revered of profes-
sions? “Making the decision was easy,”
jokes Marcelo. “The hard part was
facing the consequences.” Inspired by
his pharmacist grandfather, Alticimo Tournier, whose
work had been a subtle art of “mixing powders, making
potions, all of that alchemy,” he had long wanted
to help people through his
own career. A lifelong in-
terest in computers had fol-
lowed Marcelo through med
school, and shortly after an
opportunity surfaced to inno-
vate the Brazilian healthcare
system. The results were
award winning.
It was around this time
Marcelo learned of Hult’s
Masters in Business Analytics
program. “It was right at the
time that I started to question
myself, my career, and what I
could do in this new world
where there is no such thing
as a career map,” he explains.
The program’s STEM OPT
presented a unique opportu-
nity to further his skills in
Silicon Valley, “a place where
innovation was just explod-
ing.” He and his family swift-
ly relocated, leaving behind
his Brazilian medical license and an executive-level role.
Data Scientist
Masters in Business Analytics
Class of 2019
San Francisco, US
@marcelotournier
The triple-jump change of industry,
function, and geography was high-risk,
but the rewards are paying off. Today,
Marcelo is a data scientist at Apixio,
where he applies AI solutions to medical
records, cutting the time doctors in the
US spend on documentation. “One of my role models,
Dr. Eric Topol, said: ‘Medicine is losing its humane
side because of clerical work caused by badly designed
technology’—as a doctor and
technologist, I believe I can
help fix this.”
Marcelo’s on-the-ground
experience as a doctor in-
forms his work every day.
“Working with technology,
you have to have the user in
mind all the time,” he says.
“I know that doctors are
burned-out, stressed by badly
designed technology, and re-
sistant to testing new things.”
Their fear of AI is a sticking
point Marcelo hopes will be
overcome: “It is extremely
complex to look after a hu-
man being. We value not only
the medical knowledge of
the doctor, but the human
touch we receive when we
seek good, quality healthcare.
Using data, doctors will be
able to support their patients
in better ways, each and every
day. That’s what makes me passionate about technology.”
Career Change
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