For Alison Shimada, UC Berkeley was the foundation for a global career. As an undergraduate, Shimada envisioned a future in business. After spending a year studying abroad in Tokyo, she found her calling as a political economy major, where interdisciplinary classes and a vibrant campus community prepared her for a successful career in global asset management.
As a proud alumna, Shimada hopes current students can reap the same benefits from their Berkeley experience that she did. In an effort to bring alumni and students together, she regularly organizes mixers and student events. She’s also given a talk for the UC Berkeley Women’s Finance Club and guest lectures for political economy classes. She hopes her involvement inspires more alumni to give back.
Shimada recently spoke to Berkeley Social Sciences about her background and the importance of giving back. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
What was your degree in and why did you choose it?
Alison Shimada: My degree was in political economy of industrial societies. I was always interested in business, and I applied to undergrad for the business administration program. However, I actually decided to go to Japan to study in Tokyo instead. I did one year of study abroad at Sophia University.
Afterwards, I couldn’t defer that entry into the business administration program, so I looked for other programs that could expose me to a variety of fields. The political economy of industrial societies major offered a variety of coursework that aligned with my interests, so it was a good fit for me.
What was your experience like at UC Berkeley?
Alison Shimada: I had a very good experience in the sense that I met a lot of very different people. I thought that the people at UC Berkeley were very high caliber, serious students – but also nice people. I’m from El Cerrito originally, so I didn’t live on campus. I lived at home and commuted. But even being a commuter student, it was a good experience.
The caliber of teaching was also very good, and the professors themselves taught almost all of my classes. I was also able to get involved in various clubs and met a lot of nice people. Overall, I thought it was a very solid program and a very solid university.
How did your Berkeley experience prepare you for your career?
Alison Shimada: Being able to take an interdisciplinary program was very useful because that’s the way the world works. I took a combination of political science, economics and business administration classes, and even explored other fields like anthropology.
I’ve been in investment management for 40 years, specifically in a global asset management firm. Of that, I’ve spent the last 20 years in emerging markets and international markets. It’s been a very strong foundation in terms of critical thinking skills around geopolitical, national, economic and social issues. UC Berkeley really set me up well for that kind of career.
What advice would you give Berkeley Social Sciences students who wish to pursue a similar career path?
Alison Shimada: I would say not to get too specific about the kind of initial work that you do. You have to do what you can do. For example, I was very interested in learning Japanese after I graduated. Do something you’re passionate about outside of your job because, eventually, if you build up all your experience, it will pay off.
The reason I think that is because I took an initial job off the Cal job board for an investment company. I didn’t know what it was, but it had something to do with the stock market and it sounded interesting. I decided to just try it. So my advice is to be open minded because, whatever it is that you do, you can derive something important from it.
How have you given back to UC Berkeley?
Alison Shimada: I’ve donated money to the university because it’s important for developing various programs. I’ve donated to the Political Economy program, to the library system and even to the botanical garden. I still live in El Cerrito, and I feel very strongly that when UC Berkeley performs well, it really positively impacts all the surrounding areas and the Bay Area in general.
I had a very good experience at UC Berkeley, and because of that, I want to contribute to the well-being of the university. I also really like Rich Lyons, the new chancellor, and think that the faculty at large are very earnest in what they’re trying to accomplish. They have people’s best interest in mind, and I want to support that.
I’ve also given talks for the Women’s Finance Club and a couple of classes within the political economy program. I try to directly interact with students, and as the co-chair of the Political Economy Alumni Advisory Board, I’ve also helped to formulate several mixers for the political economy program to bring people together. My goal for the mixer is to understand where students are and understand how alumni can do more to give back.