
James Havlicek
5.0
(82)
Break into M7 with gusto | Columbia MBA | Ex-McKinsey & Hollywood
12,690 min coached
606 followers
Supercoach
Studied at Columbia Business School
Worked at McKinsey & Company
Successful clients at
Available tomorrow at 9:30 PM UTC
Hi! If you don't see a time on my calendar that works for you, please message me and I will get back you about scheduling. Please note that rescheduling or canceling <24 hours out for a paid session will still be billed.
Questions? Start chatting with this coach before you get started.
James's Coaching Offerings
Custom hourly · $279/hr
Get help with Recommendations, Cover Letters, and .
James also coaches for Management Consulting, Break Into AI Careers, and Career Coaching. View all.
James’s MBA Qualifications
Coaches professionally
James has helped clients get into these schools:
Welcome to my profile! As a Columbia Business School MBA graduate and former Senior Associate at McKinsey & Company, I bring a wealth of experience in strategic operations and business development. My diverse background, including roles at NBCUniversal and Frame.io, equips me with unique insights into the intersection of business and creativity. I have successfully coached numerous clients through the MBA admissions process, helping them craft compelling applications that stand out. Whether you need guidance on application strategy, essay writing, or interview preparation, I'm here to help you achieve your MBA goals. Let's connect and start your journey to success!
James can help with:
Recommendations
Cover Letters
General Exploration
Resume
Testing & Assessments
Supplementary Materials
School Selection
Essays
Secondary Review
Application Strategy
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Interviews
Editing
Ding Analysis
Networking Strategy
Waitlist Strategy
James also coaches for Management Consulting, Break Into AI Careers, and Career Coaching. View all.
About James
Hi! I'm a Columbia MBA, former McKinsey consultant, and current Head of Partner Strategy & Operations at Salsa. I started my career in the agent training program at United Talent Agency, and was a non-traditional MBA applicant. I like to drum, play golf, see as many movies as possible, and have recently gotten addicted to Peleton...
Why do I coach?
If it hadn't been for the amazing coaches and mentors I've had throughout my career, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve my goals. I love to pay it forward and help others do the same.
Work Experience

Head of Partner Strategy & Operations
Salsa
2025 - Present

Senior Associate
McKinsey & Company
August 2022 - October 2024

Enterprise Sales
Frame.io
May 2018 - November 2019
Video collaboration startup (acquired by Adobe for $1.3B)

Original Series Development
NBCUniversal
February 2017 - April 2018

Agent Trainee
United Talent Agency
September 2014 - February 2017
Education

Columbia Business School
MBA

Claremont McKenna College
BA, Economics & International Relations
Thesis: The Performance of Global Film Franchises: Installment Effects & Extension Decisions (published in the Journal of Cultural Economics, January 2018)
James was also personally admitted to

Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern)
82 Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
Knowledge
4.9
Value
5.0
Responsiveness
5.0
Supportiveness
5.0
James has helped clients get into these schools:
James has helped clients get into these companies:
