Brandon Tatum

How has your career progressed since graduating from GLOBIS?

I’m currently heading the business and legal affairs functions of Repost by SoundCloud. Repost is a rapidly growing music distribution and marketing service that enables artists and labels to grow their audiences and make money from their music on SoundCloud. I’m directly signing deals with artists and aiding with distribution. This involves quite a lot of deal negotiations, including brand partnership deals between artists and gaming companies.

Before SoundCloud, I was at SM Entertainment. There, I lead the business and legal affairs efforts of the US subsidiary of the largest South Korean entertainment conglomerate to establish effective legal strategies and help secure commercial partnerships and joint ventures in the Western markets. This catalyzed rapid expansion in the entertainment industry across music, film, TV, and other media.

If it wasn’t for the opportunity to move to Japan and pursue my GLOBIS MBA, I would likely never have made connections throughout the Asian music industry, including with SM Entertainment and other K-Pop and J-Pop music companies.

Why did you decide to pursue a Full-time MBA at GLOBIS?

I’ve always loved Japan, especially Tokyo. I even had my honeymoon there! At the same time, I also always wanted to earn my MBA and further my business studies. The GLOBIS MBA was a match made in heaven. It was appealing because I wanted to learn more about the rich history of business in Asia, and it was located in the heart of Tokyo.

Since the Full-time MBA Program itself was only a year old at the time, I also felt I could be a pioneer and contribute to its future growth as an emerging business school in Asia. 

What are some of your most memorable moments during your studies in Tokyo?

One of the coolest and most memorable experiences was heading to the Fukushima area in Northeast Japan. We met local community leaders and entrepreneurs, and it was amazing to see the efforts they put into rebuilding the area after it was struck by the earthquake and tsunami back in 2011.

I also fondly remember the many study sessions I would have with my batchmates. You could see people with different strengths and expertise coming together and supporting each other. Besides academic work, I also enjoyed the talks over lunch and dinners, tasting foods from all corners of the world. 

In terms of MBA courses, Entrepreneurial Leadership and Globalization of Asian and Japanese Companies are among my favorites.  

What kind of skills, network, and mindset did you develop at GLOBIS?

The formulation and focus on kokorozashi has been impactful for me, and it clearly shows in my current career. GLOBIS puts a great focus on developing your personal mission, and throughout the MBA I could focus on my life’s biggest interest: Music! I really wanted to find a way to connect the Eastern and Western music industries, as they had so much to offer.

It didn’t stop with just formulating my mission—it clearly carried through! In 2015, I launched my own music publishing company, once again connecting the dots between my passion, career, and mission in life.

Would you recommend GLOBIS to future candidates from the Americas?

Of course, I would recommend it to those who are willing to put in the necessary work to succeed. You only get out of it what you put into it, after all. I recommend everyone take advantage of opportunities to expand your cultural learning outside your comfort bubble. Be prepared to study hard and do a lot of work! You can reduce your workload with Pre-MBA courses first, so I highly recommend looking into it!