I am the child of civil servants who were based in Washington D.C. and, thus, became interested in politics from an early age. This led to my subject choices of Political Science and Economics for my Bachelor’s and Public Policy for my master's degree.
My first job was on Capitol Hill, gaining an understanding of federal public policy and the legislative process. Subsequently I worked in all fifty states undertaking state regulatory and legislative lobbying, this involved the identification and tailoring of strategies taking account of different local cultures and outlooks. I then moved on to federal regulatory and policy representation.
I travel extensively in my free time. I have visited thirty-nine countries and have studied French and Russian. I am aware of the basic importance of taking cultural differences into full account when doing business internationally and would enjoy the chance to interact with, and learn from, professionals from other countries and cultures.
My most formative professional experiences occurred when I joined Ketchum Global PR. During this time, I had the opportunity to work with of several of the largest US corporations and had the great fortune to work directly with Fred Smith, founder and chairman of the Federal Express company who was one of several inspirational leaders and innovators whose methods I have had the privilege of observing up close.
Fred Smith recognized at an early stage that successful businesses could all operate globally. I worked closely with Fred on the possibility of moving the US Postal Service to a more privatized and efficient system. We worked together on policy-maker education and developed a regulatory outline for the privatized parts of the service and created a positioning/marketing campaign to put into effect once the legislation was in place. FEDEX ‘went global’ early and did so very successfully and I learned many useful lessons during this time relevant to the program.
My next job was with the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. This period also provided me with valuable knowledge, however this time the lessons were in how not to try to enter the global economy. I spent 9 years at BCBS. I gratefully accepted a corporate buy-out and now want a change of direction and one that will equip me to help companies to recognize the opportunities and to overcome the complexities of ‘going global’. I am extremely excited at the prospect of this change of direction and of working in a cohort of similarly enthusiastic and experienced professionals and of sharing with them.
The global economy is now a reality, and corporations can either ignore this reality and suffer for doing so or embrace it recognizing that dealing with this reality may not be without its problems but carries enormous potential rewards. Corporations are naturally fearful of the cultural, marketing, and regulatory minefield when they glance over the domestic ‘fence’ and need knowledgeable guidance to negotiate it. I want to be one of those guides as I understand that, for many companies, it must be done, and I want to learn exactly how it should be done in the most effective way.
The pace at which companies recognize that they need to consider the potential of the global economy is increasing and will continue to do so. My areas of expertise are external affairs, branding and positioning, and this skill set is highly relevant to globalization, but I must broaden it if I am to realize my goals.
I am aware that this prestigious program will attract many professionally qualified and experienced applicants however I believe that I can bring a unique and particularly useful mix of real-world experiences of public policy and regulatory maneuvering and of ways of integrating public policy with business strategy and corporate development. I can also bring a ‘Washington insight’ on corporate communications, external affairs, and public policy. I know that I can ‘add value’ to my cohort and the business academic community.
Global Executive MBA Political Scientist's Purposeful Journey
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