Amira Weeks

Amira Weeks spent much of her childhood on stage, and her background in performance and musical theater led her naturally toward a corporate career in entertainment. But after a successful stint at Netflix, where she had risen to manager of content programming, strategy, and operations, she stepped away to polish her leadership skills at Stanford GSB in the MBA Program.

“It was a hard decision to pursue an MBA when you have a job a lot of people dream of,” says Weeks, a Michigan native. “I aspire not only to make an impact, but also to be a strong people leader — someone who empowers teams, and invests in developing and coaching others. One of the reasons I was attracted to Stanford is there’s such an emphasis on those leadership skills.”

How did you get your start at Netflix?

My first role at Netflix was on the team working to create a new animated series content strategy. I then shifted to a more centralized role spread across different content areas. I did a metrics redesign for kids’ content to better reflect its value. After working in that centralized group, I went to Singapore, and I did content strategy for Southeast Asia, specifically the Philippines and Malaysia. It’s a different world than I was used to, thinking more specifically about licensing strategy. How do you take content and evaluate what makes sense for Netflix? And how do you leverage that content to drive subscriber growth?

Then you returned to the U.S.?

I was working on the licensing team in the U.S. that decides which of the shows not owned or produced by Netflix — things like Friends or Big Bang Theory — to bring onto Netflix, what countries to put that show in, how much to pay for it, and all the strategy behind those deals.

What skills were you hoping to learn in the MBA Program?

When considering business school, I researched Stanford and the Arbuckle Leadership Fellows Program. Despite being a manager, I’ve never been a full-on people manager. I like the idea of leadership through coaching to enable someone to get there through their own efforts. I’m so happy that once I got to school, I was chosen to participate in that program. I’ve learned so much.

One of your goals in coming to Stanford GSB was to be a top executive at a television studio. Has that goal evolved since starting business school?

I’ve always wanted to work in creative spaces. From growing up in musical theater and acting, that’s where I feel at home and can make an impact. However, the GSB has taught me to think outside what feels comfortable and consider all options. I’m exploring how it would feel to own or run my own entertainment-related company. That’s not something I’d ever considered before business school.

Why did your experience at Stanford GSB make you rethink your ambitions?

The Entrepreneurial Acquisition course inspired me to seriously consider acquiring my own company. The course includes guest speakers who are entrepreneurs and investors, and who make anything seem possible. While I never dreamed of owning my own business, there are so many of my classmates who are creating amazing things, and it pushed me to think, “Why not me?”

How do you think you can have the most impact after leaving Stanford GSB?

I think if you can impact one person, that’s impact. I remember colleagues who took time to help me early in my career who said, “Let me help you with this model. Let me help you with this analysis.” Their contributions had the most impact on me and the leader that I’ve become. I want to make a difference in one person’s life or help them accomplish something they never thought they could. I believe combining that impact with creativity and storytelling will fill my cup.

You recently had the opportunity to interview a media leader at Stanford GSB. Can you talk about that?

I’m involved with the View From the Top speaker series. We bring business speakers to campus so students can learn from their experiences and insights. I enjoyed being on stage and interviewing A.G. Sulzberger of The New York Times.

The New York Times is committed to its mission of independent journalism and news without fear or favor. What I really respect about the Times is that they stayed true to that mission and changed their business model in service of that mission. In the interview, Sulzberger said you have to know what doesn’t change, and then be willing to examine everything else. To me, that’s really powerful. They have a north star to get them through these tough times in journalism.

What did you learn from your experience as an interviewer?

I grew up speaking in public and acting, but that’s all very scripted. For me, the growth experience was how to live-react to an interviewee’s answers with poise, how to research and prepare for questions and get a deep understanding of their business. I also learned a lot from working with the other students on the speaker committee, and getting an understanding of their perspectives and goals for the presentations.

What else are you involved in at Stanford GSB?

I’m working on the GSB Show, doing production design and thinking about the set, the props, and the costumes. My roommate is the creative director and he wrote the script, so it’s a fun partnership that culminates in a great event for the community.

What has been your most challenging course at the business school?

Assessing and Developing Leadership. The course teaches you how to assess candidates and hire for your specific needs. It also asks you to assess your own leadership capability. I’ve been achievement-focused my whole life, but there are always growth areas where you can improve. The self-reflection component was incredibly valuable for me.

You’ve also been a career mentor with the nonprofit Foster Nation. Why?

I can think of so many different moments where someone helped me. I really valued those experiences. In the communities I grew up between, there are such different levels of access to privilege and opportunities. As I continue to be successful, it’s important to me to pay that back to others.

Do you have any role models in the entertainment industry?

One of my role models is Shonda Rhimes, the TV producer and screenwriter. The impact she’s had on representation in television has been incredible, making shows for everybody that have global impact.

What aspects of live performance do you think have been most useful in your business career?

There are the obvious ones — communication, and being able to present with personality and energy. That’s directly correlated to all of the experience I’ve had in live performance. There’s also an element of being able to roll with the punches and not take yourself so seriously. If you’ve ever been in a musical you know it’s hours and hours of rehearsal and performance. Everyone is a key part of the puzzle, yet the result is so much bigger than any one person.

Photos by Elena Zhukova