9464 EWMBA Bro.c2.3.indd - Berkeley MBA - University of California ...

EVENING & WEEKEND MBA PROGRAM
Eric Ortman
MBA 09
Manager, Litigation Support
Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics
San Francisco, California
Previous degree:
BS, Cornell University
When his wife Sarah went into labor
three hours before his Operations
final exam, Eric Ortman learned
firsthand how hard Haas strives to
accommodate the extra-curricular
needs of EWMBA students. “I got on
the phone with my professors and
put ‘Plan B’ into action,” he recalls.
“They all said ‘just let us know when
you can get back to school’, and we
worked out a new exam schedule.”
Ortman’s wife earned her MBA a few
years ago, so she understands the
pressures. Ortman says they both
recognize the opportunities and value
his degree will add to their lives over
time. “Having her full support was
invaluable,” he says.
So is the support of his Haas classmates.
“Three of the five of us in my
Entrepreneurship class study group
were parents. We scheduled meetings
and phone calls after the kids were in
bed. We all felt accountable to the
team and worked hard not to let each
other down. My classmates were
honest and hard-working, good
people, and were very generous
with their time, their knowledge and
their creativity.”
Ortman compliments the Haas staff
for being “cheerleaders, always urging
us on when we thought we had
hit a wall. They offered such terrific
support to EWMBA students.” Much
to Ortman’s dismay, one of the few
things Haas doesn’t supply is a dog
walking service. “My beagle Kiki
probably suffered the most. When
I was in school, she didn’t go on
nearly enough long walks.”
14 Haas School of Business Leading Through Innovation