Bumpei Yoshida (MBA ’20) earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from Kyoto University in Japan. He joined Sanyo Chemical Industries Ltd. in 2006. Before enrolling in the MBA program at the Rady School of Management, he served as a research and development unit chief for a Sanyo Chemical Industries Ltd. company-wide energy-business project.
1) Why did you choose to pursue an MBA?
I have been working for Sanyo Chemical Industries, Ltd. (SCI), a Japanese chemical manufacturer, for more than 10 years and have gained a lot of experience as a chemical engineer. However, in order to move up in my career, I feel it is important to learn more about high-level business procedures, such as planning and executing company strategies. I believe earning an MBA is the best way to accomplish this goal.
2) Why did you choose the Rady School?
I chose to attend the Rady School of Management because courses such as Lab to Market will help me understand technology commercialization. Through my career as an engineer, I have faced difficulties putting unique product ideas into the market, and these products were rarely successful. The Rady MBA program will provide me with a wealth of opportunities to learn how to manage such situations, as well as fundamental management skills and knowledge. Also, I am looking forward to collaborating with students at UC San Diego’s Jacobs School of Engineering.
3) What do you feel makes Rady unique? How do you benefit from these aspects?
I feel Rady’s small-size class is unique. The number of Full-Time MBA classmates is under 50. However, the backgrounds and nationality are still quite diverse. I believe this environment makes it easier to deepen the relationship between classmates, and allows us to learn more from each other. Moreover, Rady has energetic career support. They pay attention to each of us to help not only in searching for new employers but also in helping us establish meaningful networks for our future careers.
4) What classes are you looking forward to this year?
I am looking forward to participating in the Lab to Market sequence. Through my career, I have been trying to commercialize new chemical products with my company and have learned many things from my failures and a few successes. All these lessons are valuable to me, but the methodology and the way of thinking were always similar. I am eager to expand my knowledge with different kinds of concepts and methodologies for new product commercialization. I am excited to discuss my current business ideas with professors and classmates who have diverse professional backgrounds.
5) How has your perspective on your career or your life changed since you came to Rady?
Before I came to Rady, I rarely came across people who were interested in starting their own businesses. However, many Rady classmates and alumni are seeking the chance to start their own business by taking advantage of Rady’s strong and generous entrepreneurship support. I am happy with my current career and am not looking to switch jobs, but  I want to explore the opportunity to build a spin-off or a joint venture from SCI. Being a Rady student has encouraged me to explore a number of options that I normally may not have considered.
6) What are your goals after graduation?
As a company-sponsored student, my immediate goal after obtaining my MBA is to go back to Japan and to play a role as a strategist for SCI. Specifically, I will seek partnerships with device manufacturers to commercialize innovative technologies that have been developed in-house. My long-term goal is to secure a senior manager position in SCI’s planning division. Although SCI is steadily improving its performance, to sustain this growth into the future, it is essential to reinforce human resources capable of planning and executing company strategies from a global perspective. I want to become one of the key employees for SCI’s globalization.