Scott Smith: from Mongol Rally to Managing Director
Scott, congratulations on your promotion! Could you tell us what motivated you to pursue this career step and how you managed to achieve such a significant role at just 34 years old?
It’s been an exciting few months!
What motivates me is getting the most out of people and seeing them thrive. Being able to work with a team and create an impact together is incredibly rewarding and is the underlying reason why I chose to pursue this career step.
Through changes in fields and business sectors I have been able to learn a lot about myself, with regard to what I value, what drives me and where my limitations lie. Being honest about these things with oneself is essential for personal growth and I believe this to be a main factor behind the opportunity I have been presented with.
We’ve spent almost a year in the same class, and I’ve admired how you balance an impressive career and an EMBA in parallel, while still dedicating time to other things. You’re a passionate cyclist, spend time with family and friends, make time to travel and are even learning Spanish. What’s your secret?
I am a firm believer in organizing your life well to make the most of the available time you have. For me, this starts with routine planning for the coming week, usually done on a Sunday. Adding a place and time to my planned tasks and events helps me commit to them and gives structure throughout the week. However, it is critical that I accept when things don’t go according to plan due to unforeseen circumstances and not put unnecessary pressure on myself.
Balancing your week and maybe even planning some downtime also factors into this. I also put a lot of importance on vacation, where I do my best to completely disconnect from work and my daily environment. Longer breaks, for example between jobs, can also be very rewarding and allow for unforgettable experiences, in my case I was able to complete the Mongol Rally – a road trip from London to Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia) within 6 weeks with my brother and a friend. This experience allowed me to return with fresh perspectives and has impacted how I approach my career and personal life.
Your father’s international career meant you were raised in a highly international context. You spent your childhood in several countries and grew up perfectly trilingual. How has this shaped the person and professional you are today?
This has had a huge impact on my life, a huge part of which I have only come to realize later. Being able to visit countries, experience cultures and meet many different people has been unforgettable and helped me become more open-minded and a citizen of the world. It has helped give me perspective in many situations, both in business environments as well as my personal life.
The reality is, there is also a flip side to such an upbringing. For myself this was the lack of a stable network of friends or environment and constant change. With the knowledge of how essential these aspects can be, it is something I focus on providing to teams I am a part of.
What inspired you to choose the EMBA-Rochester-Bern program, and how do you believe it will enhance your future career?
Having studied civil engineering, a very technical discipline, and not having any education in areas such as finance and management, I believe the EMBA-Rochester-Bern program was a perfect fit for me. I see myself as a generalist, another thing the EMBA program enhances with modules covering a broad range of topics. The high level of teaching I experienced during my open day, which in the meantime has only been reinforced by other professors is such a fundamental aspect of this successful program.
My hope is that with this EMBA program I can round out my profile with solid knowledge in the areas of finance and general management helping me understand and interact more effectively with other departments and allow myself to thrive in my new role.
