Incoming Executive Fellow Michael L. Zemetra ’93 believes that success comes with a responsibility to give back. He is executive vice president, chief financial officer, and treasurer of Veritone Inc., a leading provider of artificial intelligence technology. He joined the Executive Fellows program for the 2020-21 school year, and will be contributing his real-world experience to the school’s strategy of bridging theory and practice.
“The UCR Executive Fellows program stands out among top business schools because of the level of involvement by the fellows,” said Yunzeng Wang, School of Business dean. “Michael is an excellent connection to the world of business that we are preparing our students to join.”
Executive Fellows are selected for their leadership, professional experience, and business expertise. The program was founded in 1992 to connect distinguished business leaders with faculty and students at the UCR School of Business, home of the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management. Executive Fellows mentor students in their careers, business ventures and professional challenges.
Zemetra sees parallels in the program to his own experience as a School of Business undergraduate, when he discovered the difference that a mentor can make.
He said he was somewhat lost about his career direction until he connected with a UCR professor who encouraged him and gave him confidence. Now a successful executive, Zemetra wants to return the favor.
“I don't think that kind of attention happens at other schools,” said Zemetra, who also serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council. “I don't consider myself to be this super successful person, but I want to be a resource to give back, to help kids who are on journeys in terms of a career pathway.”
Zemetra’s own pathway took him to large content and media companies. Early in his career in public accounting, he advised giants in the entertainment business, including The Walt Disney Company, Sony Pictures and LucasFilm. Later he branched into technology startups and digital media. Until recently, he served as CFO at LiveXLive, a global platform for livestream and on-demand content in music, comedy, and pop culture.
In fall 2020, he joined Veritone, which developed the world’s first operating system for artificial intelligence. That system, aiWARE, works across multiple machine learning models to organize vast amounts of data – audio, video, text, and other sources. Applications range from entertainment to law enforcement to renewable energy and beyond.
Zemetra said he was drawn by the opportunity to be part of something that is going to change the world. “Ultimately, AI will change the way we approach healthcare, how drugs are manufactured, banking security – the possibilities are really endless.”
For students concerned about entering the pandemic job market, Zemetra said he reminds them that “with hard work comes opportunities,” and that they should embrace the fast-paced fluidity of technology.
“Tomorrow’s leaders are going to be those who understand the connection between humanity and technology,” he said. As business ambassadors, we have to be almost like psychologists, to tell them it's going to be OK; there are going to be opportunities."
“Mike’s diverse background and his determination to give back make him an outstanding addition to the Executive Fellows program,” said Wang. “He demonstrates that success and satisfaction in business are measured by many factors, including the lives you touch."