The Journey of a Leader. Ian McMilan’s

This story is also published on Linkedin here.

Ian McMilan, Global Retail Marketing Lead, Nike, joined our lecture at NYU School of Professional Studies. We spoke about the value of education, leadership, career changes, and loving what we do. Students who had selected Nike to learn about corporate Finance were tremendously thankful to Ian for joining us. Over 100 participants from Europe, Asia, and the Americas registered for the chat. All of those providing anonymous feedback pointed out how inspired they were by Ian’s remarks. Below are some of the highlights.

Knowing what we don’t like is important

We started with a brief discussion about the value of a master’s degree. Ian shared how much he appreciated the serendipity of encountering new people, learning with international students, and those from different industries, ages, religions, and social demographics. The conversation evolved into how difficult it is to know what we want to do in our careers. Ian suggested that “it’s as helpful to know what you don’t want to do as it is to know what you do want to do.” ¹ ²

Chase your dreams

Earlier in his career, after receiving an offer from PwC, Ian asked whether he could postpone for a year. The timing was perfect, as it was during the previous recession, so it was a win/win for everyone. He used that time to take private acting classes, something he enjoyed since he was a kid. Curious about working in other fields? Internship and consulting engagements may provide such opportunities. In his case, Ian’s acting lessons helped him with his storytelling skills, something he also enjoys, and it’s highly transferable to business. In his own words, “Chase your dreams.”

A day of work during the pandemic for a senior executive

While conversing about whether we are working longer hours due to Zoom, we first reflected on how before the pandemic, running from one meeting to the next at large companies wasn’t a pleasant walk in the park. Flights were delayed and canceled, and it takes time to park. Zoom changed that. Ian shared how he is now able to join 12 meetings on a typical day. To prevent zoom fatigue, we spoke about using lunchtime breaks to decompress. In his case, he goes for a run while listening to podcasts.³

What are your values as a leader?

Having a clear understanding of our own values is critical. Ian enjoys writing, and he spent a weekend writing down what his personal values are, what’s important to him. Doing this helps us understand the type of work we want to do and the company we want to work for. He also emphasized how important it is to lead by example and the concept of servant leadership.⁴

Interviewing questions

When asked, “What qualities do you appreciate in candidates?”⁵ the part of his response we all remember was, “Are you a good person?” Ian also pointed out the importance of Attitude and Energy.

To note, the entire conversation was about “Ian, the person” and not about Nike. Despite that, 94% of participants shared afterward that they now wanted to work for Nike.

Competition versus collaboration

“The best teams challenge each other and are highly cooperative,” he said. Ian is a former Division I football player for Princeton University and the University of Washington. He explained that his approach to life’s started on the athletic field and concluded: “I learned that you compete all week while in practice, and then when it’s time for the game, you are one team.”⁶

Control what you can control

When responding to a query from international students on how to get more career opportunities, his advice was something all of us can use. Ian suggested “Control what you Can Control” and highlighted the importance of Attitude, Energy, and being direct when we want a job. People and companies want to work with people who want to work with them. This was one of the tips participants liked most (see the students’ reactions paragraph below).⁷

Is it ever too late for a career change?

“No” was his response. McDonald’s’ Ray Kroc and Starbucks Howard Schultz are examples. Ian also suggested working on side projects about things we are passionate about, such as acting or writing.⁸

How difficult are career changes?

Career changes are very difficult, but you can use “a thread of what you’re currently doing to help you connect the jobs.” In his case, he went from corporate accounting at PwC (PriceWaterhouse), to Consulting within the same firm, to Corporate Strategy, and finally, to the job he loves. He expanded on it when responding to the last question.⁹

Working at large versus small companies

At small companies, one can wear different hats, whereas, at large companies, one would have to “cultivate the ability to do that.” Large companies offer a platform and scale to impact many people and geographies, but the scope is more limited.¹⁰

Advice to young kids

Enjoy lots of play and laughter and pursue what you are curious about.¹¹

Loving the job we do. Do we?

A participant wrote, “I work at the company, and a senior member said Ian would be a great experience.” Ian shared how happy he is with his job and spoke very highly about his colleagues, his boss, and earning his team’s respect. He then offered one of his intriguing questions. He said, “If a genie popped out of a bottle and told you could have any job in the world you want, what would your answer be?”¹²

Was your dream to become the Global Retail Marketing Lead at Nike?

“I am big into sports,” Ian shared. Since he was in high school, he liked the brand. He was inspired by Nike’s founder, Phil Knight, who got an accounting degree, went to work first at PwC, and the founded Nike. Ian’s vision was to work at Nike, so he started building bridges to get there. He got an accounting degree, went to work first at PWC, and is now the Global Retail Marketing Lead at Nike. And a great storyteller too.”¹³

Students’ reactions to Ian McMilan’s chat

The feedback shown below was received anonymously.

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Why we bring speakers to a Finance class

At a school with constant innovation, the best thing we can do for our students is to have them speak with real-world leaders to become inspired. It’s mutually beneficial. Teaching this class is a highlight of the week for me. For my ‘day job’, I frequently use ideas about pricing and product launches I learn from my students. Read more about this class.