Today we revisit a couple of “near misses” — where a combination of solid preparation and luck led my guests to thrive or pivot quickly in the face of turmoil in their organizations.
Omar Dinar discusses joining Lehman at the onset of the financial crisis, and the impact of the bank's bankruptcy on his career. Being in the real estate division allowed him participation in the acquisition negotiations by Barclays where he excelled for a solid portion of his career.
We then revisit our discussion with Annalyn Cruz, at the point where she had years of advising university students under her belt. At a crossroads, she made the tough call to take a pay cut to go into Learning and Development when she had the option to move to a Director-level role. This choice didn’t save her from impending layoffs, but future-proofed her resume to work in corporate spaces.
00:00 Introduction to the MBA Journey
00:25 Landing the Dream Job at Lehman Brothers
02:04 The Financial Crisis Unfolds
02:57 Experiencing Lehman's Collapse
08:07 Transition to Barclays
08:32 A New Path: Semester at Sea
09:49 Pivot to Learning and Development
12:04 Challenges and Growth in L&D
18:03 Final Reflections and Career Transition