Learning Unabashedly

Erin Hiley (B.A. ’98, ’26)
Chief Legal Officer, American Specialty Health
Host: Praveen Gangaraju (’26)
Celebrate 2026 Drive Time Co-Leader

UCLA Anderson executive MBA alumna and double Bruin Erin Hiley (B.A. ’98, ’26) is chief legal officer at American Specialty Health. Introducing her in conversation, classmate Praveen Gangaraju (’26) said, “She is someone who brings together law, leadership and a strong sense of purpose in a very grounded way.”
Like many people, Hiley began her career with some uncertainty. She noticed that although we marvel at entrepreneurs’ and executives’ successes following massive failures, we don’t talk as much about the less public adversities — like an organizational change that affects your position, or workplace discrimination that sets you back — that everyone experiences throughout their careers. “We’re kind of silenced on that journey,” she said. “Speaking up for yourself is difficult.”
Hiley believes that in hindsight we can use those experiences as estimations of our own ability to overcome and to recognize the skill set that we learn from the process. Mentoring young people who have faced disadvantages — which she has done for 18 years and counting — taught her the importance of showing up courageously, and she in turn was able to reassure her mentees they are not alone in grappling with their purpose.
Earning her EMBA meant stepping outside her lane, which she said she wished she did earlier. Claiming that C-level attorneys are “notoriously bad at finance,” Hiley said she “learned unabashedly” through EMBA and developed confidence in areas she doubted she could master. Up next for Hiley is the chance to use what she’s learned at Anderson to make a greater material impact in her work, applying AI and entrepreneurship, and looking for new ways to “give back” to her community.