James Havlicek
Top Expert
Break into M7 with gusto | Columbia MBA | Ex-McKinsey & Hollywood
Columbia Business School
McKinsey & Company
Successful clients at
18.1k
Expert mins
7.3k
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Available tomorrow
Starting at 11:00 PM UTC
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About
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...
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:
Application Strategy
Cover Letters
Ding Analysis
Editing
Essays
Financial Aid & Scholarships
General Exploration
Interviews
Networking Strategy
Recommendations
Resume
School Selection
Secondary Review
Supplementary Materials
Testing & Assessments
Waitlist Strategy
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
Founding Strategy & Ops
Squad
2026 - Present
Head of Partner Strategy & Operations
Salsa
2025 - 2026
Senior Associate
McKinsey & Company
2022 - 2024
Enterprise Sales
Frame.io
2018 - 2019
Video collaboration startup (acquired by Adobe for $1.3B)
Original Series Development
NBCUniversal
2017 - 2018
Agent Trainee
United Talent Agency
2014 - 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)
5.0 average review
95 reviews
Overall rating
James has helped clients get into these schools:
James also coaches for Management Consulting, Break Into AI Careers, and Career Coaching. View all.
James’s Leland+ Resources
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