King’s Business School launched its Executive MBA to equip senior professionals with the leadership tools and knowledge to address some of the biggest challenges facing business – and the world - today. Meet some of our first class of Executive MBA candidates who are preparing to make an even bigger impact.

Like Paul Harvey. It was when Paul was helping his son to choose a university that a realisation dawned on him; with over 25 years of industry experience, he may still only be halfway through his career.

“When we were looking at the university prospectuses, I thought, 'wow, this seems really interesting.' It made me wish I could go back to learning and rekindled my interest in studying. I attend a lot of training sessions at work, but these tend to be short, intense courses naturally focused on one specific topic,” he said.

He realised that he now had ample time and opportunity to enhance his skills and explore new avenues, and also that it was becoming essential for him to do so.

“I recognised then the importance of continually staying ahead of the game and remaining a competitive candidate. There are over 300,000 people at PwC, and I wanted to make sure in the second half of my career, I had the tools to go even further.”

Rising to become a Strategic Leader at a Big Four Firm

Paul's professional journey has led to his current role at PwC, where he has been for over 10 years. He has held various Sales and Marketing roles and now works with the Global leadership team in the Industrials and Services Industry as the Global Clients & Markets Industry Executive.

“It wouldn't be an overstatement to say that we're in the midst of a profound overhaul of the industrial system,” he explained. “It’s exciting stuff, I love that I have to adapt to changing demands and tackle global challenges head-on. My role is multifaceted, involving collaboration with strategy, sales, and marketing teams. Broadly speaking, I contribute to initiatives centred around our company's strategic priorities, thought leadership campaigns, and market positioning.”

Before PwC, Paul worked in marketing agencies and as an in-house Marketing Director in both private healthcare and digital marketing firms. He entered marketing after completing his degree in Business Studies at Brighton University.

This journey through different types of organisational landscapes means that Paul brings a variety of perspectives to the King’s Business School Executive MBA classroom. From his days in smaller agencies, he has an appreciation of hands-on, versatile approaches to problem-solving. Meanwhile, his experiences navigating complex structures in large corporations offer valuable lessons in collaboration and effective communication.

Broadening Horizons at King's

Having decided the time was right for more learning, Paul started exploring Executive MBA programmes which he felt were well aligned with his career goal of deepening his understanding of large-scale transformations.

In particular he was attracted to the Executive MBA at King's Business School as an opportunity to connect with leaders from outside the world of professional services organisations where he was already well networked.

The format of the King’s Business School Executive MBA also played a crucial role in Paul's decision-making process. He was looking for an immersive learning experience where he could interact with fellow students and learn from their experiences face-to-face rather than merely online. The format of intensive weekends, conducted in person, appealed to Paul's preference for hands-on learning and networking opportunities.

Tangible Returns

Already Paul is seeing a return on his investment. “Every day, I'm listening to the experts and taking away something relevant for me… after the King’s Business School Executive MBA Markets and Consumers of the Future weekend I immersed myself in all things GenAI. I'm now speaking to a number of colleagues about how we can use this more effectively in new projects."