Josh Rubin finds a business program to balance his wine
By Zoe Lance
For Josh Rubin, the vineyards he works with are more than just rows of grapes waiting to be made into wine 鈥� they鈥檙e a working laboratory.
Every day he uses concepts he鈥檚 learning in 华体会鈥檚 master鈥檚 in business administration program 鈥� sometimes from class the night before 鈥� to inform both his agricultural and management decisions as the vineyard director for Dierberg and Star Lane Vineyards in Santa Barbara.
鈥淚t鈥檚 one thing to read a textbook, but to really convert theory into understanding and practical application is an incredible opportunity,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 making better decisions now. That鈥檚 the ideal case for an MBA. It鈥檚 a great complement to my previous specialization.鈥�
Rubin will complete the program in August, with a degree that emphasizes accounting, finance and operations. He holds a master鈥檚 degree in viticulture and grape genetics from University of California, Davis, but wanted a MBA to round out his scientific background. In addition to managing 70 employees on three vineyards, he鈥檚 responsible for developing the vineyard business鈥� budget and farm plans.
鈥淢aking sound scientific decisions and sound business decisions shouldn鈥檛 be mutually exclusive,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he way the science fits in is that you get to make operational decisions that make sense from a scientific perspective.鈥�
Rubin turned to 华体会鈥檚 program, hosted at the University鈥檚 Goleta campus. He enjoys the in-person experience.
Making sound scientific decisions and sound business decisions shouldn鈥檛 be mutually exclusive.
鈥淚 wanted an in-class MBA,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here are a million online programs out there with big names, but you鈥檙e not going to get the same experience out of it. It鈥檚 the people: there鈥檚 a really cool blend of other disciplines in our cohort.鈥�
Rubin also appreciates his newfound fluency in the language of practical business 鈥� before the program, he found accounting and financial statements daunting.
鈥淣ow I have the language to back up the arguments I鈥檓 trying to make on how science can save us money,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the greatest immediate improvement for me.鈥�
And on the operations side, Rubin has found his management approach.
鈥淧reviously, I was expecting people to perform by the standards I hold for myself, and that鈥檚 not really correct,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen someone has different strengths than you, it could mean that they are the exact complement that your team needs.
鈥淚 think about my team differently now. What can I do to help them excel in the best way possible? Asking and answering that question is a lot of what management is.鈥�
漏聽Spring聽2017 / Volume 21 / Number 01 / Bi-annual