‭From the military to an Oxbridge MBA?

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‭ usiness school education is a recognised avenue for individuals transitioning from the military.‬
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‭Completing an MBA program offers valuable insights into leadership and team dynamics that extend‬
‭beyond the hierarchical military structure, making it an ideal platform for those seeking to advance in‬
‭their careers. Although only a tiny proportion of MBA and Executive MBA applicants originate from the‬
‭military, security, and defence sectors annually, their decision to pursue business training warrants‬
‭understanding. Additionally, the relevance of an MBA in NATO or a corporate boardroom merits‬
‭consideration.‬

‭Oliver Ormiston:‬
‭ 018 MBA Oliver Ormiston served for 17 years in the British Army. He rose to the rank of Major and was‬
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‭deployed on five operational tours, including Helmand province, Afghanistan. ‘My service coincided with‬
‭when the British Army was running pretty hot,’ he said.‬

‭ is experiences during these tours encompassed everything a civilian might imagine of army service:‬
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‭action, excitement, danger and loss. This wide breadth of life experience allows Ormiston to bring a‬
‭unique perspective to the MBA classroom. ‘While my work experience might in some ways be narrow‬
‭compared to the other candidates, my experiences in life have been extensive,’ he said.‬

‭ owever, a potential disadvantage of army service is a need for more exposure to diverse workforces. ‘To‬
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‭put it in perspective,’ said Ormiston, at the peak of my service, I commanded 116 men and one woman. I‬
‭was conscious that there were other thoughts and opinions I wasn't being exposed to.’‬

I‭ n contrast, Ormiston is now studying for his MBA within a cohort encompassing 62 nationalities. ‘The‬
‭greatest learning experience for me has been working with people with completely different viewpoints,’‬
‭he said. ‘And I don’t mean simply disagreeing over something, but the fact that, because of differences in‬
‭cultural backgrounds or experience, someone might see an entirely different problem to me. It’s a‬
‭challenge, but that’s why I am here.’‬

‭Juliana Mardon:‬

‭ 016 EMBA alumna Juliana Mardon has worked for NATO for almost a decade after serving seven years‬
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‭as a French Navy Officer and now holds the position of Budget Officer for the civilian alliance’s Science for‬
‭Peace and Security Programme. ‘I enjoy working in defence because you can see the results of your actions‬
‭very quickly – it’s gratifying in that way,’ she said.‬

‭ ardon believes solid parallels and distinct differences exist between an organisation like NATO and‬
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‭corporate companies. ‘At NATO, we still have budgets and are subject to financial regulation, like a‬
‭company would be,’ she explained. ‘But unlike a corporate company, we are an organisation that is‬
‭governed by consensus between our member countries. We also must be mindful of the geopolitical‬
‭environment, which, as we have seen in recent years, can change rapidly.’‬

‭ ike Ormiston, Mardon enrolled at Saïd Business School because she had reached a crossroads in her‬
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‭career. ‘I needed to decide – whether to look for a higher position in finance or to branch out,’ she said.‬
‭‘The way the EMBA is set up, you are exposed to many new ideas and fields, and it helped me discover‬
‭some areas of business that I would never have known about. Now I’m interested in moving into cyber‬
‭security concerning finance, which I would not have considered without coming here,’ concluded Mardon.‬
‭Christian Nattiel:‬

‭ hristian Nattiel is a 1+1 MBA student, Rhodes Scholar and an Infantry Officer in the US Army. Enrolling‬
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‭at Oxford and studying amongst cohorts with diverse backgrounds and opinions has been enriching and‬
‭challenging for him. ‘I had to reintegrate into civilian life,’ he said. ‘And once you’re outside the US‬
‭military, you find that not everyone believes in the same ideals. I’ve met people at Oxford who strongly‬
‭disapprove of my country’s actions and people who are pacifists and reject even the idea of a standing‬
‭army altogether.’‬

I‭ n the MBA programme, however, Christian's lessons have helped him view military organisations from a‬
‭new perspective. ‘Our Global Strategy module with Dr Marc Szepan has been beneficial, and I have a‬
‭much better understanding now of the relationship between free markets, the rule of law, foreign policy,‬
‭and where the military fits into this careful balance,’ he said.‬

‭Jane Wainwright:‬

I‭ n 2018, EMBA Jane Wainwright served the British Army as an intelligence officer for over a decade.‬
‭During that time, she supported the closing down of Operation Banner in Northern Ireland – a historic‬
‭moment for the British Army. ‘We would look at physical and protective security – such as ensuring our‬
‭soldiers were protected in operational theatres. There was also the “spooky” element of our work:‬
‭intelligence gathering and so on,’ explained Wainwright.‬

‭ ainwright stated that although many army veterans move into the security sector, the Intelligence Corps‬
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‭is the only regiment that handles security as part of its full-time duties. At the end of her service, the‬
‭private security industry was a natural fit. Wainwright now holds the position of Director of Security and‬
‭Data Protection at PwC, the world’s largest professional services firm.‬

‭ he close links between the military and private security firms meant the transition was relatively‬
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‭straightforward for Wainwright, but it was not without its challenges. ‘One thing the army does not teach‬
‭you is a commercial mindset,’ she said. ‘That’s what I found most challenging, initially. It’s not that you‬
‭don’t understand the aims of the business; it’s that you must transition quickly from an authoritative,‬
‭hierarchical organisation to something quite different. Put it another way: you need to learn how to go‬
‭gently round to the back door and not just kick the front door in.’‬

‭ hile Wainwright quickly adapted to civilian organisations, she was wary of becoming ‘siloed’ and wanted‬
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‭to gain a greater understanding of business mechanics. After enrolling on the Oxford EMBA, she found‬
‭the program confirmed her instincts on best practices while expanding the options available to her.‬

‘‭When it comes to topics like leadership, the EMBA has taught us that there are many alternative‬
‭approaches we might have been previously unaware of,’ she said. ‘Learning about these different routes to‬
‭success is exactly what I came here for.’‬
‭Katherine Danielson:‬

‭ fter completing more than 45 combat missions in Iraq and numerous international assignments during‬
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‭her seven years in the Army, Katherine is in no doubt of the transferable skills that veterans can‬
‭contribute to an MBA programme and the corporate sector.‬

“‭ The army forces you to stay calm under intense pressure, think strategically, and solve problems‬
‭methodically. We are already primed to deal with the stress and high stakes of business life.‬

“‭ The Cambridge MBA is the bridge that cultivates the necessary communication, management and‬
‭quantitative knowledge for success in our next chapter outside the military.” However, as Katherine‬
‭acknowledges, while military experience can be a significant career asset, “transitioning into civilian life is‬
‭difficult”.‬

“‭ The first few years out of the military can disorient a person’s identity, direction, and sense of purpose.‬
‭Fortunately, I went to school immediately to get my undergraduate education, but I watched many of my‬
‭peers struggle.”‬

‭ uring her undergraduate programme, studying International Relations and Global Studies at the‬
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‭University of Texas, Katherine co-founded Zen Monkey Overnight Oatmeal, which produces pre-packaged‬
‭oats and muesli sold in grocery stores across the United States.‬

‭ ith the addition of her Cambridge MBA, Katherine believes it is possible “literally to pursue any career.”‬
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‭“I started as a broadcast journalist and have moved into investment banking. They are worlds apart.”‬

‭Matthew Hou:‬

‭ atthew Hou (MBA 2020) looked to the Cambridge MBA to gain a world-class education and the‬
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‭credibility of a global brand; he says, “that will carry across the six or seven different career changes our‬
‭generation is likely to have.”‬

‭ hen he arrived for his first interview in Cambridge, Matthew was weighing up several MBA offers. A‬
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‭new international relationship, however, was soon to begin. “I fell in love with Cambridge: the Formal‬
‭Hall dinners, the beautiful Colleges, and just meeting many exceptional people.‬

“‭ I was impressed by the deep connections between the Business School and the University of Cambridge‬
‭community. Cambridge MBA students are immersed in an unparalleled environment, rich with history‬
‭and innovation that is brimming with collaborative opportunities during formal studies and personal‬
‭time.”‬

‭ s a former logistics officer in the Canadian Armed Forces, Matthew has diverse experiences not‬
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‭commonly found among a typical MBA cohort. During nine years of service, he directed emergency supply‬
‭chains during natural disasters in Canada and Afghanistan; Matthew led road convoys during a mission‬
‭with frequent rocket attacks. He completed an MPA (Master of Public Affairs) at Sciences Po after leaving‬
‭the army in 2019.‬

‭ s a ‘Veteran Ambassador’ at Cambridge, Matthew will continue his relationship with the services‬
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‭community to help many more military applicants transition into the Cambridge MBA programme and‬
‭overcome any barriers they feel might hold them back. “It wasn’t such a rough transition for me from the‬
‭ anadian military into the Cambridge MBA because of the amazing cohort. There was a lot of mentorship‬
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‭with peers, who gave honest and useful feedback.”‬

‭ fter graduating, Matthew is excited to apply his MBA skills in a public sector consulting career that will‬
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‭improve supply chains, diversity and inclusion, and hybrid work across Canada’s government. “From the‬
‭start of the application process, I found that the easy availability of Cambridge MBA graduates to get‬
‭advice differed from other networks within MBA programmes. It is a tight-knit, global, and highly‬
‭responsive alumni network,” Matthew says.‬

‭Dave Johnson & Guy Sustiel:‬

‭ he Cambridge MBA has propelled graduates from a services background into positions in companies‬
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‭such as Amazon and Google, IT consulting at Booz Allen Hamilton, and leading investment banks.‬

‭ ave Johnson (MBA 2012) spent six years in the US Navy as an Intelligence Officer before choosing to do‬
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‭an MBA.‬

“‭ An MBA was an option to transition my career, help future employers bridge the experience gap, and‬
‭better understand how my experience would translate into the civilian world. After graduating, my MBA‬
‭gave me the curiosity and the confidence to pursue several different career paths, from initially consulting‬
‭for a startup in London to working in product management in video games to Amazon and now working‬
‭for Lowe’s Companies as Director of Product Management.‬

“‭ Each step of the way, a common narrative has been how the MBA from Cambridge has stuck out as a‬
‭unique life experience and a unique story, and the entire experience in Cambridge was life-changing.”‬

‭Dave, a self-proclaimed ‘triple jumper’, embraced a new career path, geography, and industry sector.‬

‭ e says he never would have had the confidence to develop a start-up with some of his classmates at the‬
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‭time and to consider an entrepreneurial career path had he not been through the programme at‬
‭Cambridge.‬

‭ imilarly, for Guy Sustiel (MBA 2014), who graduated in 2015, Cambridge became the perfect‬
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‭springboard into the fast-growing tech sector.‬

‭ ow working as Regional Head of Strategy, Operations and Growth at Google, Guy had spent a decade as‬
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‭Commander and Head of Operations in the Israeli Air Force.‬

“‭ When I arrived in Cambridge, I thought I would be overwhelmed by the scale of the University of‬
‭Cambridge environment, but instead, I found the class size at the time intimate and my peers down to‬
‭earth, and I realised I could thrive in that environment.”‬

‭Jack King:‬

“‭ The international experience is exceptional in that it broadens your perspective in both a professional‬
‭and personal sense. After the MBA, you can travel to almost any country and have an old classmate‬
‭waiting at the other end!” Jack King (MBA 2015) works at the US Department of Justice.‬
‭ ack describes himself as the typical “career switcher” when he moved to Cambridge in 2015 after serving‬
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‭in the US Army as an intelligence officer for over three years. The MBA programme gave him first-hand‬
‭knowledge in many fields and career opportunities. As a result, he says he gained a much better‬
‭understanding of what interested him and what didn’t.‬

“‭ Honestly, what is so appealing about Cambridge is something intrinsic to the military – your best‬
‭experiences come when you extend far outside your comfort zone.‬

“‭ Cambridge wasn’t the school close to home, nor the school with three dozen other military veteran‬
‭students. Instead, the school allows you to be challenged by and learn from the best cohort in the world.‬

“‭ It is a true privilege to measure yourself against that group daily. I would recommend Cambridge to‬
‭military veteran personnel,” Jack concludes.‬

‭Ian Branum:‬

‭ fter six years as an officer in the US Navy, Ian Branum knew a thing or two about leadership and‬
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‭decision-making. But when he began his studies at Cambridge Judge Business School, he quickly learned‬
‭what he didn’t know – particularly about inclusive decision-making that enhances leadership.‬

“‭ As someone with a military background, I knew a lot about leadership and teams, but Cambridge altered‬
‭my way of thinking – especially how I present ideas,” says Ian, a Cambridge MBA Class of 1997/98‬
‭member. “In the Navy, for example, there is a belief that all briefs are either informational or decisional.‬
‭But at Cambridge Judge, I learned that while that may be so, more importantly, all briefs are persuasive.‬
‭It’s not about informing your boss or top-down decision-making; it’s about persuading juniors, peers, and‬
‭seniors sufficiently well that they willingly come on board with you.”‬

I‭ an is now chief solution architect at US software company Element Blue, based in Houston, Texas, and‬
‭says he’s applying his Cambridge Judge lessons in the Navy as a reservist.‬

“‭ After 9/11, the reserves cranked up, and I’ve served roughly one day in four since. Much of what I learned‬
‭in that MBA course is still relevant all these years later. I never realised how useful it would be and for‬
‭how long. I still subconsciously refer back to the course every day. I wouldn’t be the person I am without‬
‭it.”‬

I‭ an is not alone among people in the military who have learned new approaches to leadership,‬
‭organisation and team dynamics at Cambridge Judge.‬

‭Steven Cooney:‬

‭ S Marine Steven Cooney, who completed his Executive MBA at Cambridge Judge earlier this year, says‬
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‭the programme’s strategy elements have reshaped his thinking. “I have applied many lessons around‬
‭corporate governance and negotiation,” he says. “The course gives you the confidence and the clarity to‬
‭know how to approach and tackle complex problems.”‬

‭ teven is currently on an exchange programme with the British armed forces, where those skills have‬
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‭helped him increase effective collaboration and communication between the US Marines and the UK‬
‭Ministry of Defence.‬
“‭ The course gives you the confidence and the clarity to know how to approach and tackle complex‬
‭problems,” he says of the EMBA programme at Cambridge Judge. “It’s a combination of working in‬
‭real-world, practical situations backed up with academic knowledge. It’s rigorous and challenging, but it‬
‭needs to be. And it doesn’t just teach you; it encourages you to keep learning.”‬

‭ paper written by Steven recently won the Cambridge-McKinsey Risk Prize awarded by the Cambridge‬
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‭Centre for Risk Studies in conjunction with consulting firm McKinsey. The article discussed how US‬
‭railroads, which have long benefited from lucrative coal transport, must adjust to changing energy‬
‭patterns.‬

‭Philip Romanelli:‬

‭ hilip Romanelli, who has long been a US Army Reserve officer, began his Cambridge MBA in 2002 but‬
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‭was called up for deployment in Iraq after his first term, returning to the MBA programme a year later.‬
‭Since completing his MBA, he has held several senior civilian posts with the US government, including‬
‭five years at the Pentagon as Deputy Chief of the Strategic Initiatives Group of the Secretary of the Army‬
‭and, for the past year, as Deputy Garrison Commander of the US Army post in Ansbach, Germany.‬

“‭ The Cambridge MBA was a fantastic opportunity to do something that enabled a shift, to take what I had‬
‭done in a military background and to add business skills and a broader conceptual context,” he says. “I‬
‭wouldn’t be where I am today without what I learned in Cambridge.‬

“‭ In military life, you’re often focused on tactical issues, execution and doing things right, rather than‬
‭strategy or operations,” says Philip. “So the broader perspective I got in Cambridge was critical, both the‬
‭organisational behaviour skills and some softer skills which have stuck with me. I also learned that‬
‭business is different overseas, as Cambridge has a genuine diversity in its student body. We as Americans‬
‭can sometimes assume we have it right, and it was very illuminating to see that some of these other ways‬
‭also work well and may even be better.”‬

‭Heather Ritchey:‬

‭ ajor Heather Ritchey, an operations research and systems analyst in the US Army, came to Cambridge‬
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‭Judge for an MPhil in Management Studies in 2004 after winning a Gates scholarship. “It’s not just about‬
‭the academic aspect of the course content,” says Heather. “The course I did changed the way I thought. It‬
‭helped me to understand the Army – a big organisation – and to look at what it does and my role within it‬
‭from different perspectives. That’s hugely beneficial to enhancing the way you do your job. I was 22 then‬
‭aware that business exposure was important, whether I stayed in or left the service.”‬

‭ hirteen years on, that understanding has helped Heather in her most recent assignment as an assistant‬
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‭professor at the Military Police Corps in West Point, New York. “Above everything, the Cambridge Judge‬
‭experience taught me about team dynamics and how to lead them,” she says. “US higher education‬
‭focuses on a breadth of knowledge. In the UK, students don’t have that breadth; instead, they specialise‬
‭and have a far greater depth of understanding of individual subjects.‬

“‭ Being in that cohort, I learned you can bat the ball to other people with different levels of experience and‬
‭knowledge bases, and I learned how you can tie all those skills together so they complement each other. It‬
‭taught me that every person – in a cohort, a business, an Army unit – brings unique skills, and I learned‬
‭how to leverage and value every person’s strength.”‬