Our London Alumni Ambassador, Leo Koshutova, is Alum of the Month for April. Since graduating from the Department of Management, Leo has been working in management consultancy, providing support to a range of top tier organisations.
What’s your current job?
Over the last ten years, I have been working as a management consultant supporting different clients with business transformation. This experience has given me great exposure to different industries and insights into the workings of Governments and top tier organisations. I am currently a Principal and lead the Pharmaceutical sector at Moorhouse Consulting.
Where have you worked previously?
Straight after graduating, I joined Deloitte Consulting in London. During my five years there, I worked with a number of clients in different locations across the UK, Germany, Kuwait, UAE etc. supporting various projects. I gained experience in implementing new operating models, process design, enacting new legislation, technology implementation, change management and project management.
How has the programme you studied helped your career since you graduated?
No doubt, studying at LSE put me in an advantageous position in terms of career prospects. Studying Management equipped me with the theoretical knowledge I needed to operate well in consulting: strategy development, people management, psychology, accounting etc. However, more importantly, the experience of studying with people from many nationalities gave me the interpersonal skills I needed to work effectively with clients from around the world.
What’s the greatest challenge you’ve had to overcome?
Career: I was part of the consulting team that set up the new Tax Authority in the UAE. A colleague and I were in charge of developing the processes on how the Authority will collect VAT. This was particularly challenging given that we had never worked in Tax before. Through extensive research, support from Deloitte’s Tax department, long nights (and lots of sushi!), we managed to get it done. This proved to me that anything can be done, no matter how impossible the task may seem at first.
Personal: The first few years of adapting to London, having come here as a war refugee at the age of 13.
How has studying at the Department of Management allowed you to make an impact?
Apart from providing some of the best academic programmes in the world, LSE’s Department of Management also gives you the opportunity to connect with great minds from across the globe. In my class, we had about 59 students representing at least 50 nationalities. This sort of exposure inculcates the values of interconnectedness, understanding and tolerance. I believe these are the foundations everyone needs to make a positive impact in the world.
What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve received?
Perseverance will get you to the top.