After earning his bachelor’s in industrial and operations engineering from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Omar Turki (MBA ’18) worked at Tesla and Ford Motor Company within the supply chain and logistics areas to gain his expertise in the field. He is graduating with his MBA from the Rady School of Management this month.
Why did you choose to pursue an MBA?
Earning an engineering degree from the University of Michigan, and having a couple of years of technical work experience 
in fortune 500 firms, I realized the importance of obtaining a management degree as a complement to my skills. I wanted to advance further in my career and gain a holistic knowledge in business, and an MBA seemed to be the perfect match.
Why did you choose the Rady School?
I chose Rady for several reasons. The most important ones were the quality of the faculty who previously taught at schools ranging from Booth to Haas, the ranking and reputation of UC San Diego as one of the best universities in the world, the state of the arts facilities and its location being a 5 minute walk from Black’s beach. In addition, I was offered a generous fellowship award and there was a possibility to study abroad in Italy for a semester at one of Europe’s top business schools.
What do you feel makes Rady unique? How do you benefit from these aspects?Â
Being an up and coming school, focused in entrepreneurship, I can feel the entrepreneurship vibe all around the school. From networking with successful alumni who launched their own innovative businesses, to being surrounded by like-minded students coming from all over the world, creativity is in every corner which is not typical for other business schools.
What are some of your favorite classes you have taken at Rady?
I am graduating this month, but looking back at classes I have taken, my favorite was management communication with Todd Salovey, who is a theatre director at UC San Diego’s school of theatre. My public speaking skills improved dramatically after taking that class and the professor made the learning experience unforgettable. Another favorite is the coaching lab for leaders taught by Alison Meyer who flies down from UC Berkeley’s Haas every week to teach at Rady. This class was so essential for my self-awareness, and helped me take my leadership skills one step ahead using real life assignments.
How has your perspective on your career or your life changed since you came to Rady?
During my first year, I landed an MBA internship at the world’s most innovative company — Tesla. It started as a summer internship but I was asked to extend to over a year. Rady was very flexible and allowed me to take a year off from school to pursue this opportunity. At Tesla, I was surrounded by other MBA’s from top schools, and I lead several projects in production, supply chain and logistics. My work played a critical role in the transition phase to producing the model 3 in the Fremont factory. I have seen Elon Musk a couple of times and I finally understood what he meant by nothing is impossible. I could see it at work and I now believe in it too.
What are your goals after graduation?
My goal is to work in Management consulting, to use my skills in different industries and to further enhance my knowledge. I luckily received a couple of job offers and I am excited for what is coming next.
What advice do you have for prospective students?
My advice for other Rady students is network early during your first year and reaching out to people that might be able to get you an interview. People are willing to help and all you need to do is ask.