For our Inspirational Women Shaping The Future Of Business Education series we speak with Kathy Harvey, Associate Dean Global Networks and Innovation at Saïd Business School
- Name: Kathy Harvey
- Job title: Associate Dean, Global Networks and Innovation
- Institution: Saïd Business School, Oxford University
Kathy Harvey began life as a journalist, reporting on UK politics as a correspondent for the BBC before leaving to become freelance and set up her own executive training and coaching consultancy, working in financial services and corporate law. She then moved to develop executive education at Oxford University’s Saïd Business School before being asked to lead the School’s Executive MBA.
As Associate Dean for the main degree programmes at Oxford she developed new degree and diploma programmes, and was responsible for the success of a portfolio over 13 programmes and almost 1000 full and part time students. She teaches entrepreneurship and is now the Associate Dean overseeing global strategy, partnerships and innovation.
She is a qualified executive coach and a trustee of the Orwell Foundation, which upholds the legacy of the writer George Orwell through awarding journalism prizes and working with young people on writing skills.
Why do you work in education?
Working in education feels like a privilege – being able to dip into the knowledge pools of so many great minds and walk alongside participants as they learn new things and change themselves in the process.
Working in a university reminds you that you are part of something bigger than yourself, and that’s both humbling and exhilarating. My father left school at 13 and spent the first part of his adulthood doing correspondence courses to help him gain promotion as a senior manager. He carried on being curious and learning new things all his life and was incredibly proud of me when I landed my first role at Saïd Business School in the University of Oxford. He also thought I was lucky to be part of the education sector – and I agree!
What’s the most rewarding part of your role?
Seeing students and executive participants grow personally and professionally through studying with us. We have over sixty nationalities represented on our programmes, so the conversations are fascinating, and the opinions are diverse. Being part of their learning process is fascinating, and it is inspiring to see how much they achieve in a short time with us in Oxford.
Please tell us about a challenge you’ve overcome to get to where you are today. What did you learn?
When my children were tiny, my partner and I couldn’t keep up the same work pattern and we decided one of us should become freelance and try to work more flexibly for a few years. I offered to be the flexible worker and found it incredibly difficult to shift my identity from employee to consultant.
“Stay curious, and remember to ask open questions before you leap into action with answers of your own.”
– Kathy Harvey
I learned that professional identity is far more important to me than I realised, but also only ever part of who you are. One day some freelance work led to the offer of a large executive training contract, and the establishment of my own company which ran successfully for almost a decade. Taking a back seat in my career had, inadvertently, launched my second career. Now my partner has taken on a more flexible role to support me.
Have you ever had a role model? If yes, who? And how have they impacted your career or outlook?
My parents were both important role models for me. I’ve mentioned my father, but my mother was also important in giving me the confidence to believe women could achieve whatever they wanted. In an era where many mothers didn’t work, she returned to her role as a radiographer when I was small and clearly loved her work. I grew up to expect the same thing.
What advice would you give to others to succeed in their careers?
Stay curious, and remember to ask open questions before you leap into action with answers of your own. And don’t forget that there’s no right way to walk your career path. We will all be working for most of our lives so be prepared to experiment and change careers if you want to. It may mean more training and a change of identity, but learning is always worth it.
Interested in this series? Keep reading…