MENTORdna guest – MENTOR dna

October 27, 2024October 27, 2024

Jim Abbott – Former MLB Pitcher

Jim Abbott is an University of Michigan Baseball Hall of Famer and MLB pitcher known for being born with one hand. His parents never treated him any differently and taught him to live independently and joyfully. Growing up, Jim played multiple sports and joined his high school football team as quarterback, but he ultimately chose baseball when he went to University of Michigan.

As a kid, Jim’s dad worked with him to improve on speed and technique, perfecting what’s now known as the Abbott switch. While pitching, Jim would balance his glove on his right wrist, where the arm ends, pitching with his left arm. When fielding, he’d quickly switch the glove to his left hand. Despite having offers to play professionally out of high school, Jim opted to attend University of Michigan where he earned the Golden Spikes Award.

1988, Jim’s junior year at University of Michigan, proved to be an exciting one as he won Big Ten

Athlete of the Year, signed with the Angels, played in the Pan American games, defeating Cuba in the finals, AND helped lead the US Olympic baseball team to gold at the summer games in Seoul, South Korea.

After playing with the Angels for four seasons, he was traded to the Yankees, where he and his wife navigated big city life as a young couple. In 1993, Jim famously threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians, and the season was halted the following year due to the MLB strike. He eventually signed with the White Sox as a free agent and then re-signed with the Angels in 1996. Jim discusses his struggles through his professional career and how he had to meet some deeply-buried fears head-on to realize and appreciate that there’s much more to him as a person than playing in the MLB.

Jim retired from baseball in ’97 and unlocked his passion for sharing his story to encourage others to persevere and overcome seemingly impossible challenges.

About Jim Abbott

As a kid, Jim’s dad worked with him to improve on speed and technique, perfecting what’s now known as the Abbott switch.

While pitching, Jim would balance his glove on his right wrist, where the arm ends, pitching with his left arm. When fielding, he’d quickly switch the glove to his left hand. Despite having offers to play professionally out of high school, Jim opted to attend University of Michigan where he earned the Golden Spikes Award.

1988, Jim’s junior year at University of Michigan, proved to be an exciting one as he won Big Ten Athlete of the Year, signed with the Angels, played in the Pan American games, defeating Cuba in the finals, AND helped lead the US Olympic baseball team to gold at the summer games in Seoul, South Korea.

He eventually signed with the White Sox as a free agent and then re-signed with the Angels in 1996. Jim discusses his struggles through his professional career and how he had to meet some deeply-buried fears head-on to realize and appreciate that there’s much more to him as a person than playing in the MLB.

Jim retired from baseball in ’97 and unlocked his passion for sharing his story to encourage others to persevere and overcome seemingly impossible challenges.

January 18, 2024January 29, 2024

Pilar Ramos :: General Counsel & Corporate Secretary TelevisaUnivision

I’ve known Pilar Ramos since her freshman year at Penn, where she and I became quick friends in our sorority. I’d never had a sister, so I took this big sister thing seriously….and still do.

Pilar’s story isn’t the typical one coming out of Penn. As a child of Honduran and Puerto Rican immigrants, many of her decisions and choices were financially based. She’s embraced her passions for language, culture and adventure in her studies and career and married a perfect partner who shares the same curiosities.

Together, they’ve woven a beautiful life filled with creative endeavors, international careers, and a joie de vivre that only one who’s lived in Paris can truly appreciate.

Pilar started working during high school and hasn’t stopped. As Managing Editor of Penn’s Law Review, she quickly came to appreciate the complexities and nuances of her volunteer gig, which led her to a summer in the public sector, and then to corporate law. She put in her time, learned the ropes and thoughtfully navigated career moves that suited her young family’s needs.

Now, as General Counsel of an internationally-recognized media company, Pilar has been able to build and mentor a team that serves TelevisaUnivision well.

About Pilar Ramos

Pilar Ramos serves as the Executive Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary of TelevisaUnivision, Inc. In this role, she leads the Law, Compliance, Government Affairs, Business & Legal Affairs, Standards & Practices, and Rights Management functions. She is a core member of the company’s executive leadership team and serves as secretary to the Board. Ms. Ramos joined the company during a pivotal moment, navigating a major strategic merger that resulted in the creation of TelevisaUnivision, now recognized as the world’s leading Spanish-language media and content company.

Before joining TU in 2021, Ms. Ramos held several senior positions at Mastercard, most recently as Executive Vice President & General Counsel, North America—the company’s largest business unit. Prior
to that role, she served as Senior Vice President, Global Public Policy & Regulatory Strategy Counsel, leading a global advocacy team on public policy and regulatory matters across diverse markets, spanning Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Canada, and Latin America. In that role, Ms. Ramos played a key role in addressing global trade in data and services, market access and competition law issues, and financial regulation matters. Prior to her long tenure at Mastercard, she served as General Counsel of a start-up marketplace, residing in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and as corporate counsel at DIRECTV Latin America.

Ms. Ramos began her legal career as an associate in the corporate group at Simpson Thacher, in both the New York City and London offices.

Ms. Ramos earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she served as an Executive Editor of The Law Review. She earned her Bachelor of Arts cum laude in International
Relations and French from Penn. As part of her undergraduate work, she studied at l’Institut d’Etudes Politiques & Sciences in Paris, France.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Ms. Ramos is deeply committed to leveraging diversity for the betterment of business and society. She is a member of The Council on Foreign Relations, serves as Co-Chair of the Penn Law Alumni Advisory Board on Equity and Inclusion, and holds positions on the Board of LatinoJustice and the Board of Advisors of the University of Miami Law School’s Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Program. She also remains an advisor to the Board of the YWCA Greenwich, on which she previously served. A passionate and practical leader, Ms. Ramos serves as a generous mentor through various channels, including The 30% Club, and advocates for diversity in the legal profession, particularly in leadership roles, including through her involvement in The Leadership Council on Legal Diversity.

Ms. Ramos has been honored with leadership recognitions, including the Legal Momentum Aiming High Award, Council of Urban Professionals Change Agent Award, Corporate Counsel National
Transformational Leadership Award, Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts Legal Champion of the Arts Award, Latino Justice Lucero Award, Leadership Institute for Women of Color Attorneys Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award, and Penn Law Women’s Association Award.

February 6, 2023February 9, 2023

Dr. David Deyhimy :: Founder & Medical Director MyMATClinic

I’ve known Dr. David Deyhimy since middle school. We spent a few years diving together on the high school team before he took junior year off to explore Europe on his road bike. He’s was an avid cyclist and when he returned, he seemed more mature in a way I hadn’t seen with other classmates who stuck around our idyllic little SoCal town near the beach.

David then went on to study at UCSD and took a few years off before applying for med school. Through the years, we lost touch until one of our high school reunions was sending classmates’ updates on Facebook.

We reconnected and as it turns out, he lives just a few miles from me now. I quickly became fascinated with his work in addiction medicine. He taught me much about brain chemistry and how our culture has placed such stigma on drug addiction.

10 years later, Dr. Deyhimy is a highly-sought after thought leader in the addiction medicine space, successfully treating patients throughout Southern California and consulting companies around the world.

We all know someone who struggles with addiction, so I encourage you to listen into Dr. Deyhimy’s non-traditional journey into medicine.

He shares salient and important information about how we should talk to our kids about drug use, how to be prepared for worst case scenarios, and what works and doesn’t work in the addiction recovery protocols.

About Dr. David Deyhimy

David I. Deyhimy, MD, FASAM, is an addiction medicine specialist and anesthesiologist dedicated to helping those suffering from drug addiction and preventing overdose deaths from opioids. He is the founder and medical director of MYMATCLINIC and the medical director of The Solace Foundation of Orange County, the first non-profit naloxone distribution program in Orange County. He is Chief Medical Advisor for Project Opioid and serves as a medical advisor for healthcare and digital therapeutics companies. A firm believer in medical research and evidence-based drug and alcohol addiction treatments, he has helped thousands of patients improve their lives with medical treatments, education, and behavioral change. David enjoys spending time with his wife and two teenage daughters in his free time. He is an avid cyclist who loves to surf and ski whenever possible.

December 4, 2022December 6, 2022

Christy Glass Lowe :: Capital Strategy Consultant

Christy Glass Lowe and I spent our formative freshmen year at Penn together. We squished ourselves into what otherwise should’ve been a dorm room for one person…after all, everyone else on our hall had singles.

We remained friends throughout college and beyond and have a lot of fun shared memories. One in particular is a time when, during senior year fall finals, Christy called to say “Bon Jovi is playing tonight. We’re going!”

Before I realized it, we were on the Orange Train in west Philly headed to the arena. I interned for the company that owned the venue and we finagled our way into the front row of the show.

Not too shabby considering we’d paid $10 for the most nose-bleed seats you could buy.

Christy has been an inspiration to many as a leader in investment banking circles. She’s one of the few women I know to have successfully navigated the competitive and rigorous world of finance, quickly breaking into the C-Suite , all while gracefully and thoughtfully raising three children.

She now uses her gifts to work closely with Founders on fundraising strategy; something most entrepreneurs don’t carefully plan.

I know you’ll love this episode as Christy shares great stories about her early days at Goldman Sachs, then as the only woman partner at a boutique M&A advisory firm, to now serving on boards for branded consumer companies.

About Christy Glass Lowe

Since January 2016, Ms. Lowe has been the CEO of CLowe Advisors, LLC, a strategic consulting
firm specializing in capital strategy for consumer focused business. Prior to founding CLowe Advisors, LLC, Ms. Lowe was a
Managing Director at Imperial Capital, LLC from 2007 to 2015. At Imperial, she founded the annual Imperial Capital Consumer
Conference in 2009 which featured branded consumer companies and consumer focused private equity investors. Prior to Imperial, Ms. Lowe was the Co-Founder & Head of Consumer Practice at USBX Advisory Services, LLC from 2000 to 2007.

Ms. Lowe was a Corporate Finance Associate at Goldman, Sachs & Co from 1998 to 2000 and a Financial Analyst in Investment Banking and Capital Markets at Goldman Sachs from 1993 to 1996.

She serves on the Board of Directors of Burch Barrell, she is an Advisory Board member at Clare V., a Board Member and Finance Chair of the Pacifica Christian High School; and Finance
Committee Member of the Park Century School. Ms. Lowe received a BA in International Relations from the University of
Pennsylvania, a BS in Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA from the Stanford
Graduate School of Business.

Favorite podcasts:

October 5, 2022October 5, 2022

Kristin Halton :: Founder & Owner, The Halton Group

Kristin is a guru in the SoCal residential real estate market. She learned quickly and built her business based on integrity, impeccable customer service, and tenacity.

I first met Kristin at our kids’ school. As a working mom, I could spot her a mile away. Sharp suit, incredible confidence, and why in the world would someone who’s 6′ tall wear 4″ heels? Because she COULD and SHOULD….so she did.

Kristin has come alongside my family a few times as we’ve searched for just the right property for my parents. Sadly, this has been more therapist work for Kristin than actual sales, but what she’s taught me is that doing what you do, and continuing to do it with integrity always wins.

Kristin’s a stand out in this business and I know you’re going to love this episode!

About Kristin Halton

Kristin Halton, founder & owner of the Halton Group, is ranked among the top-producing real estate agents nationwide. She is proud to offer 22 years of award-winning expertise and impeccable attention to detail to buyers and sellers throughout the prestigious coastal communities of Orange County.

Kristin’s proactive approach, combined with her genuine passion for real estate, has solidified her as a real estate leader within the community. Kristin and her entire team look forward to earning your trust and helping you discover the smarter way to buy or sell a home.

September 14, 2022September 14, 2022

Danny Sonenshine: Wingstop and Dunkin’ Donuts

Danny is like the little brother that you always wished you had. He’s direct, doesn’t take any BS, and is known for being sent to the “Blue Chairs” at his elementary school more than anyone in the history of the school.

He met the love of his life at the University of Pennsylvania, and together, they’ve lived a life of being honest about what it really takes to be happy at work and life. He trained as a lawyer and realized day 1 at the law firm, that it wasn’t the path for him. It was five years before her finally heeded her advice and left law.

He took a huge leap of faith and went into the restaurant business. The only non-corporate experience he’d had prior to that was a summer spent in construction. That summer may very well have changed his life!

Danny was early in the Wingstop business, having gone to training at their Texas headquarters, and he learned that it’s not so easy to start a business. It takes years of dedication, focus and planning.

He and his team have now opened their 89th location on the west coast and he’s learned that understanding and appreciating the jobs your front line teams are doing is critical to running a successful business.

We have a fun chat and even dive into similarities between our moms earning their stripes and blazing trails in the corporate world during the 70s and 80s.

Thanks for tuning in to MENTOR dna!

About Danny Sonenshine

Danny is the founder and CEO of Far West Services, the developers and operators of Wingstop restaurants in California, Colorado, Nevada and Washington. Danny is also the co-founder and co-President of Prell Restaurant Group, a developer and operator of Dunkin’ Donuts in Southern California. Danny served as President of the Southern California Wingstop Advertising Association since its formation and is a member of and past President of Wingstop Restaurant’s Franchise Advisory Council.

Danny has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the 2013 Spirit of Franchising MVP Award from Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine and OC Metro’s 40 Under 40 list for 2012. Danny has consistently been recognized by Wingstop, receiving awards for Multi-Unit Operator of the Year, Developer of the Year, Top Gun and Advertising Co-Op of the Year. Danny received Wingstop’s Lifetime Achievement Award and was elected to the Wingstop Hall of Fame in 2016.

Prior to starting Far West in 2004, Danny was an associate at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker, LLP from 1998 to 2004, where he specialized in corporate law, including mergers and acquisitions and securities. He received his Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles in 1998 and his B.A. in International Relations, with a minor in Psychology, from the University of Pennsylvania in 1995. He is also a graduate of the Thacher School in Ojai, California, where he served as Chair of the school in his senior year.

He has held leadership positions with several non-profit organizations. Currently, Danny serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of the Thacher School. Previously, he served on and as President of the board of Harbor Day School, a private K-8 school in Newport Beach, California. Currently, Danny and his wife Kerri co-chair the school’s building campaign. Danny is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Loyola Law School and was the Chair of Loyola’s Courtroom of the 1990s Building Campaign. He is a member of the California Coast Chapter of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO)and previously served as the President of its board. Danny served on the board of Human Options, a provider of comprehensive services to victims of domestic violence, was a founder and the first Chair of BRAVO, an Orange County Performing Arts Center support group, and Chair of the Steinberg Leadership Institute of the Long Beach/Orange County Chapter of the ADL.

Danny and his wife Kerri are the proud parents of daughters Maggie and Sarah and son Tobey. He’s a runner and enjoys collecting and drinking wine.

August 8, 2022August 8, 2022

Bill Schlough – CIO SF Giants

When I talk to people about getting their MBAs, most of their focus is around gaining new technical skills like financial modeling or something similar. I strongly believe that connecting with classmates and creating new memories with those friends is more important than learning how to be an excel jockey. Bill Schlough is a perfect example of this as we never took a class together, but share fun memories from our days playing volleyball at Wharton – hours spent on the courts and traveling up and down the New England corridor for tourneys. Bill’s held the role of Chief Information Officer for the San Francisco Giants since our graduation 25 years ago. It’s no surprise that we chat a lot about the importance sports plays in the lives of our children and communities across the US.

I incorrectly assumed that Bill, a former collegiate two-sport athlete and Olympics employee, seeks athletes in his hiring, so he fills me in on what he seeks in candidates. His hilarious story about the real life challenges Covid presented as he simultaneously navigated keeping his kindergartener on task during Zoom classes while dialing into his executive staff meetings amidst flying Nerf darts are sure to make you laugh.

I’ve had a hunch about the long-term effects of innovation with remote work. The US boasts some of the most innovative companies in the world, but my experience is that ideas occur in serendipitous moments in the break room during your afternoon chocolate break. Bill says that being back at work breathes lives back into his work day, and he supports my thesis that being in-person is critically important to keeping the flywheel of innovation spinning.

Bill’s an incredible mentor and reveals that he loves giving back and particularly expressing his gratitude with the mentors in his life. With 600+ mentees over his career, Bill demonstrates a servant’s heart and desire to help and guide others. This episode is truly inspirational as Bill is a down-to-earth executive with such rich and deep insights to share with anyone looking to break into the C-Suite. Thanks for tuning in!

About Bill Schlough

Since Bill Schlough’s arrival in 1999, the Giants have been recognized as one of the most innovative teams in sports, playing a pioneering role in the world of mobile connectivity, video, ticketing and payment systems. The Giants were the first team to provide free Wi-Fi to all fans beginning in 2004, and Oracle Park is currently the home of the third largest and first 4K-capable video boardin MLB. Schlough’s IT team has also supported the baseball operation in implementing an array of proprietary analytictools that helped the team secure three World Series titles in recent years.

In addition to his technologyleadershipresponsibilities in San Francisco, Schloughserved asInterim President and subsequently Chairman ofthe Giants’ Class-A San Jose affiliate, ultimately overseeing the team’s recent sale after a decade at the helm.

An Olympic enthusiast, Schlough assisted in crafting the technology vision and operations plans for San Francisco’s bids to host the 2012, 2016 and 2024 Olympic Games. His event experience includes assignments at the 1994 World Cup along with Olympics in Atlanta, Salt Lake, Torino, PyeongChang, and Beijing.

Previously, he worked as a consultant with Booz-Allen & Hamilton and EDS. Schlough serveson the boardof Junior Achievement of Northern California and isan avid supporter of Junior Giants, raising over $150,000 through speaking appearances and other fundraisers. Schlough was inducted into CIO.com’s CIO Hall of Fame in 2017, was named Trace3’s 2016 CIO Outlier of the Year, InformationWeek’s 2012 IT Chief of the Year, and is a Sports Business Journal“Forty Under 40” honoree.

A San Francisco native and Ironman triathlete, Schlough holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from Duke University and an MBA from the Wharton School. He resides inLos Altos with his wife, Erin, and sons, Xavier and Quinlan.

July 12, 2022July 13, 2022

Dave Liu – Tech Investment Banker, CEO Advisor

David Liu is a retired tech investment banker who now advises CEOs and makes strategic investments to support Asian content creators. A mutual friend introduced us and I was surprised to have met someone else with so many shared interests and passions, while never crossing paths!

His personal journey includes moving from China to the US and having to pay for everything on his own, including a college degree from an Ivy League university.

After seeing the long list of job openings for investment banks, he applied and made it through the rigorous hiring process to land his first Wall St. internship.

Dave learned a LOT about cultural differences and became an astute observer of people, learning what nuanced behaviors made for great success in high-powered environments.

And he continued to study and learn…

At the pinnacle of his career as the youngest person to have made Managing Director, Dave made a seemingly crazy decision; he left after 25 years and decided to write his observations and notes as a way to share his learnings with his sons. Anyone interested in working on Wall Street will find tremendous value reading The Way of the Wall Street Warrior.

About Dave Liu

Dave Liu started his investment banking career working for Goldman Sachs and then joined the fledgling investment bank, Jefferies, when it had fewer than 200 employees and an equity market capitalization of under $200 million. Jefferies was a scrappy, entrepreneurial California-based bank that was started by an ex-cattle rancher in a phone booth and dared to challenge the incumbent giants of Wall Street. Today, Jefferies is a multi-billion dollar diversified public company (NYSE:JEF).

Over almost 25 years at Jefferies, Dave progressed from the proverbial janitorial suite to Managing Director co-running all Digital Media and Internet investment banking activities. He’s worked with hundreds of companies, including IBM, Google, Microsoft, Sony, Yahoo!, and Yelp. He’s managed all aspects of capital markets, venture capital and advisory for high growth Internet and technology companies and completed over 100 transactions for a broad range of companies in the USA, Asia and Europe. Dave’s worked on almost every conceivable type of corporate finance transaction including IPOs, follow-on offerings, convertibles, securitizations, and private company sales. Dave has seen it all.

After retiring from investment banking, Dave entered the world of start-ups and co-founded several companies in asset management, technology, media, and entertainment. His current and past activities include:

CEO of Liucrative Endeavors, a merchant banking firm
President of La Mesa Capital, an investment firm
Vice Chairman of MobilityWare, one of the largest mobile, casual gaming companies in the world
Chairman of Reel8, a NFT marketplace
Board Member of Francesca’s, a leading boutique retailer
Board Member of TEG Live, a GRAMMY and Tony Awards winning live production company
CEO Advisor to Capacity, an artificial intelligence platform
CEO Advisor to data.world, a leading cloud-native data catalog platform
CEO Advisor to Internet Brands/WebMD, a multi-billion dollar technology company
CEO Advisor to ProSiebenSat.1 Media, a multi-billion dollar company and one of the largest media companies in Europe
CEO Advisor to Vobile, a multi-billion dollar video software company
Investor in FIGS, a multi-billion dollar medical apparel retailer
Investor in Philz Coffee, an iconic coffee retailer based in Silicon Valley
Investor in Stampede, a movie and TV production company

Dave is also a perspiring artist and writer who is learning how to draw and write funny. He studied creative writing at the University of Pennsylvania, Sundance Institute, and The Second City. He publishes a career advice column called “Breaking Bamboo,” and a cartoon series called “The ABC Life.”

Dave is active in philanthropy and non-profit organizations. Net proceeds from his books will go towards charities helping children born with clefts, Asian Americans, and other underrepresented groups.

May 31, 2022May 31, 2022

Will O’Neill, former Mayor Newport Beach

I’d never given much thought about local elected officials and how their work impacts my life until covid hit. Living in California, I learned quickly that those we voted into office were making impossibly tough decisions that directly impacted my life and that of my family’s. That’s when Will O’Neill, a partner at a local law firm and our city’s 2020 mayor, rose to the occasion and put his constituents first, leading our city’s 85k residents and 700 employees through murky and uncharted waters.

As we reach the upper levels of management, it’s easy to wrap our identities in our careers. The long hours, the hard work, the accolades…it can all easily lead to believing that’s all you are. But time and again, my guests share the same story…there’s so much more to life than work.

Will shares that in this digital age, it’s easy to forget how simple gestures go a long way to form positive and long-lasting impressions.

So…minding your Ps and Qs matters and it’s what he seeks in potential job candidates.

I’ve never met Will O’Neill in person, but I’m so glad some listeners encouraged me to invite him as a guest on MENTOR dna. He and his colleagues on the Newport Beach city council work hard to set our policies and ensure that our laid-back beach town remains safe, special and well-managed on so many levels.

About Will O'Neill

Will O’Neill is a Stanford-educated attorney and small businessman who has served the City for five years on the Newport Beach Finance Committee (currently Chair). A California native, he received his BA from Stanford University where he lettered on the track and field team. He then received his JD from U.C. Hastings College of the Law, where he was President of his class and later President of the U.C. Hastings Board of Governors (alumni association).

Will is a Partner at Ross, Wolcott, Teinert & Prout LLP, previously working at the California Supreme Court for Associate Justice Marvin Baxter (Ret.). He is also a member of the Newport Harbor Exchange Club, Director of the Transportation Corridor Agency (San Joaquin Hills), Board Member of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, past Trustee of the Celtic Bar Association, and an active member of Mariners Church.

In 2020, Will became the youngest person to be Mayor of Newport Beach. He renewed the Council’s focus on family-friendly community features like parks, libraries, and increased school safety. He has also been proud to serve alongside our families with special needs by ensuring access to first-ever classes offered through our Newport Navigator and by helping the installation of an ADA swing at Coastal Peak Park (thanks to the leadership of a sixth-grade student at Newport Coast Elementary School!).

While Mayor, Will fought to reopen Newport Beach’s world-famous beaches after the Governor shut them, helped oversee Newport Beach’s successful response to COVID, and kept a steady focus on helping small businesses in the community.

Will’s wife, Jenny, is a former elementary school teacher and USC graduate. Their two children, ages 8 and 6, serve as constant inspiration to model service, integrity, and determination.

Currently reading: The Right, The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism – by Matthew Continetti

May 24, 2022May 25, 2022

Andrew Cherng – Co-CEO & C0-Chairman Panda Express

Andrew Cherng, CEO and Chairman Panda Express

Andrew Cherng is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Panda Express. He and his wife Peggy started the business a few years out of graduate school and have since grown it to nearly 2400 locations; mostly privately held and not franchised. Uncle Andrew, as I know him, was an investor in my company, snacki, in the early 2000s and I learned a lot about management and operations from him as he mentored me through that exciting chapter of my career. He’s always had a deep passion for people whether guests or employees.

What strikes me about Panda is that they’re known for cultivating talent from within. They care for their teams and train people in all aspects of the business. We talk about how his hiring philosophy has changed over the years. Andrew truly believes that people who develop good work habits can take that with them everywhere.

I just KNOW you’re going to learn so much from Andrew. He started in the kitchen and now delights us with fresh, delicious food, as well as fantastic leadership and management insights on this episode of MENTOR dna.

About Andrew Cherng

As Co-Founder, Co-Chair and Co-CEO, Andrew Cherng is the visionary behind Panda Restaurant Group. His business insights have propelled Panda to become the world leader in Asian dining experiences, while his passion for continuous learning inspires a culture where associates are dedicated to developing their full potential.

Andrew’s business acumen has been recognized by Forbes magazine, the Los Angeles Business Journal and the Asia Society of Southern California. He was conferred an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and is a member of the International Advisory Board for the William F. Harrah College of Hospitality at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Under Andrew’s leadership, Panda Restaurant Group was named one of America’s best employers by Forbes and ranked the number one Asian quick-service concept by QSR. Additionally, he along with Panda Restaurant Group Co-Chairman and Co-CEO Peggy Cherng, have been inducted into the National Restaurant Association’s Hall of Fame and named Carnegie Corporation’s Great Immigrants.

Andrew earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from Baker University and Master of Applied Mathematics from the University of Missouri.