Gene Morrison ’21

The asset management industry is undergoing seismic transformations. For traditional money managers, new entrants are attacking from all sides. Passive investments are taking shares from active ones. Electronically traded funds are gaining on mutual funds. Private markets are challenging public markets, and crypto-currency and other digital assets are revolutionizing the fundamental building blocks of finance.

All this change requires leaders who can quickly pivot in a rapidly evolving landscape. I felt it was imperative to sharpen my skills and learn new leadership frameworks, to position myself for career growth and to help my firm succeed.

The most impactful course for me has been the Future of Global Finance. It uses a wide lens to explore pressing issues facing global finance today. I left with the following insight: before you try to figure out solutions to complex global financial issues, first focus on developing the right questions.

Financial Market Regulation and Legal Context of Management were also incredibly thought provoking. Taught by Yale Law School professors, these courses provide a deep dive into the origins and implications of securities law and business law.

And given my new role as head of product management, the PARC (People, Architecture, Routines, and Culture) framework we learned in Workforce has been immediately useful. Creating alignment along these dimensions is integral to developing a high-performance organization.

If you’re helping push your organization in a new direction, conflicts will certainly happen. Being able to manage conflicts effectively is fundamental to being a great leader. In our leadership development courses, I’ve been able to utilize professional leadership coaching and I’ve had a peer coach. Both were incredibly insightful. I learned powerful frameworks for conflict management, and I’ve successfully leveraged those in work interactions over the past few months. I want to become a leader who inspires others to do the things they didn’t believe possible, someone who sets a vision, follows through, and leads by example.