Luke Murray

CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE GLOBAL EXECUTIVE MBA USING ONE WORD?

Transformational.

HOW DID THE PROGRAM HELP STRENGTHEN YOUR PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS?

The wide range of diversity, individual experiences within my cohort, and the content itself all played a role in helping me broaden my horizons when it comes to problem-solving. Having spent most of my career in procurement and supply chain, I now realize that my problem-solving skills always adopted a specific lens. The Global Executive MBA helped me see that there are so many other things to consider, and multiple angles from which problems can be tackled. This aspect has been energizing and uplifting! 

YOU’VE HAD A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT. HOW WILL THE LESSONS YOU’VE LEARNED IN THE PROGRAM HELP YOU TO MAKE THE SUPPLY CHAIN MORE EFFICIENT?

I absolutely love working with supply chain, as it touches so much of the business. It is a crucial function that is changing so rapidly—especially within these challenging times. 

There are a lot of lessons taken from the Global Executive MBA that I’ve been able to carry into my role, many of which I’ve already applied. In particular, my newfound understanding of cost accounting has been invaluable. I’ll also draw on new skills in marketing, strategy and entrepreneurship in order to drive our supply chain forward. 

IN WHAT WAYS HAS YOUR APPROACH TO LEADERSHIP CHANGED SINCE COMPLETING THE PROGRAM?

I would say this experience has driven me to be much more reflective in my approach to leadership, whereas before I was a bit more hard-charging. The Global Executive MBA has been a really transformational phase of my career and has unleashed my thinking in ways that I wasn’t expecting. I hope I can continue developing and implementing what I’ve learned to grow stronger as a leader throughout the rest of my career.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY FROM THE GLOBAL EXECUTIVE MBA?

I have so many! If I had to choose, I’d say the people I met and the laughs we shared along the way. What amazed me the most was that, as the “pandemic cohort”, we had more virtual interactions than we were expecting—but the bonds and friendships I’ve built with people from all over the world have been life-changing nonetheless.

WHAT WAS THE MAIN SKILL YOU WANTED TO IMPROVE DURING THE PROGRAM, AND DID YOU ACHIEVE IT?

The main skill I wanted to improve during the Global Executive MBA was my understanding of accounting and finance—and I certainly achieved it. I even earned the nickname Mr. Buffett due to my love of the famous Oracle of Omaha! 

On a broader level, I completed the program with a deeper understanding of how the actions I take in my own role impact upon the financial statements of the company. That’s definitely a career-lasting piece of knowledge!

CAN YOU TELL US THE MOST VALUABLE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU RECEIVED DURING THE PROGRAM?

The best advice I was given was simply to dive into anything that you find interesting, and give yourself space to explore it. The program is excellent in and of itself—but the more you commit and put into it, the higher the return. 

WHO’S YOUR BIGGEST PROFESSIONAL ROLE MODEL AND WHY?

I like leaders who adopt the “window and the mirror” philosophy. Leaders like this are inherently humble, using the window to apportion credit to others (often even when undue!) and the mirror to apportion culpability when something goes wrong. 

Those who know me well know that Warren Buffett is high on my list, but early on in the course I also remember reading about Darwin Smith, the former CEO of Kimberly-Clark. Smith certainly fits the window-mirror philosophy. He is a lesson in the power of humility in business.

That being said, overall my biggest role model is my wife. She has an incredible ability to hold us all together; we moved to a new country and had a baby at the same time as I was studying the Global Executive MBA. She has also an incredible resilience towards whatever the life and careers we have chosen throw at us. Without a doubt, my wife is the single biggest driver behind my professional career—I simply could not have completed this program without her unwavering support!

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT SOMETHING UNEXPECTED THAT YOU LEARNED DURING THE PROGRAM?

The program is intense and requires a high level of commitment. Despite this, my biggest and most unexpected takeaway is simply how much we can do: the things we can fit in and accomplish if we remove distractions and make time to focus. From now on, I am determined to fill my free time with things that are enriching.  

“The program is excellent in and of itself—but the more you commit and put into it, the higher the return.”