International MBA alumnus pivots career to consulting

For International MBA graduate Boyd King (’21), his role at IBM is a major change of pace from his decade-long career with his family’s bait and tackle wholesaler. One crucial aspect has remained the same. Despite 350K employees, IBM’s culture has been nothing short of welcoming; King said the computer conglomerate “treats you like family.”

Currently a senior strategy consultant with IBM, a position he began within days of his IMBA graduation in May 2021, King is already working on large accounts with senior executives of multinational companies.

His day-to-day duties are mainly based on serving his consulting clients’ needs as they relate to organizational change management.

“The first project I was fortunate enough to be placed on was the massive Delta Airlines cloud transformation effort,” King said. “For eight months, I was tasked with collaborating with several other consultants to help prepare Delta for their transformation by helping define their new cloud target operating model, roles and responsibilities and other components as it relates to their people.”

Preparing graduates for a variety of roles in practically any industry, the International MBA program’s curriculum helps students understand the context in which business operates under various cultural and economic environments.

Along with the innovative curriculum, the Moore School’s International MBA delivers an intensive study of international business with world-class faculty, unmatched study abroad immersion experience and real-world-scenario training, which all contribute to the IMBA being ranked No. 1 for the ninth consecutive year, according to U.S. News & World Report. This is the 33rd consecutive year the IMBA program has been in the top 3.

Considering its renowned reputation, attending the Moore School was an easy choice for King, who said he credits his position with IBM to his experience in the program.

“The International MBA program taught me that everyone has a different skillset and that my skills could bring value to an organization,” he said. “My professors and classmates helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses that molded me into the professional I am now.”

He also says the International MBA gave him skills that he utilizes daily with IBM.

“Conversational skills beyond the classroom were a big takeaway for me from my time in the International MBA program,” King said. “I deal with many high-level officials, and it’s important to have good public-speaking skills like candidness and conciseness when conversing with them.”

Most students spend their second year in the program completing an international immersion experience. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, King was unable to travel abroad during his time at USC.

“I was slated to go to Mexico, but that trip was deferred because of COVID-19,” he said.

While King did not get to have an immersion experience abroad, he was able to network and meet with senior staff from multinational companies when the IMBA faculty arranged for virtual immersions.

“Because I was unable to travel, I got to take more courses than my degree required. I took classes in several subjects such as finance, supply chain and accounting,” King added.

On top of taking extra classes, King also completed the Business Analytics Graduate Certificate and Enterprise Resource Planning Graduate Certificate and earned his Sonoco Lean-Six-Sigma Green Belt certification, a highly sought-after credential in the supply chain industry.

In the future, King says he would like to continue working for IBM as a senior managing consultant.

“As a senior managing consultant, I would have added responsibilities, and I would get to interact with executives on a more regular basis,” he said. “The opportunity to get to work with C-suite level executives is what excites me the most about this position.”

King said he can already see the return on investment from completing the Moore School’s International Business program. The education and experience he received while a part of the program prepared him for a working environment in a different industry.

“I had an entrepreneurial background but changing into a consulting role came with challenges,” King said. “Thanks to the various job fairs, alumni connections and case interviews, I had no doubt I was ready for this next chapter in my career.”

-James Culbertson