Patience and Understanding

Joseph is a senior executive with over 15 years’ expertise in product management and business leadership, and is currently working on improving human resource management practices using software.

How does it feel to be selected for the Alumni 100 list?

"I am very honoured and humbled to be mentioned as a part of the Alumni 100 list as there are so many alumni I would put far before myself."

What made you choose to study at the University of Edinburgh Business School?

"The diversity in culture and gender within the MBA programme attracted me towards an experience where I thought I would learn the most from others."

What are your memories of studying at the Business School?

"The Business School's student body was full of engaged, supportive, and encouraging classmates driven towards learning and achieving our individual and group goals. Hanging out with fellow students, PhDs, and faculty from multiple disciplines was the greatest joy in learning. Engaging in group projects that impacted local businesses and global charitable health initiatives showed the impact a highly engaged and well-educated student can have on the world."

What key thing that you learnt at the Business School do you still rely on today?

"Patience and understanding when dealing with people from different cultural backgrounds and different motives is probably the key learning I took away. Interpersonal skills learned while going through the challenges of group work and individual study has applied to every day of my life after my Business School experience."

Proudest work-related achievement to date?

"Having our product be used in Eastern Europe–to change the way people source talent for project teams so that any bias for or against colleagues is removed from the process–has been incredibly impactful on a culture that is starting to move quickly towards new norms in diversity. This is by far the greatest achievement since leaving the MBA programme and I'm very proud of our impact in that regard."

What's the one thing you think current students need to develop or learn before entering the modern workplace?

"As someone who interviews and ultimately hires personnel regularly, we'd like to see students learn more practical application skills that fit their career destiny. Ideally, all businesses should understand how analytics platforms, like Google Analytics, function, as most businesses are concerned with how customers find them, engage with them, and convert to sales from a digital standpoint."