Strategic Transformation: Maurice Jones '17 MBA

How does an international strategist working with several of the largest political forces in the world pivot that experience to transform organizations—and his own career? According to Maurice Jones ’17 MBA, it all starts with education, whether within his global intelligence work, as part of his Eller Online MBA degree or using his greatest passion: mentoring.

Jones has had a love for learning for as long as he can remember, as it is something his mother instilled in him from an early age. This inquisitive nature was further nurtured while serving in the U.S. Army at southern Arizona’s Fort Huachuca, with its mantra of “Critical Thought, Always.” At the base, Jones developed skills in global military intelligence while also earning his undergraduate degree at the University of Arizona South in organizational leadership.

After serving in the Army, he moved to Europe and started work with the U.S. government and NATO to support global economic activities and technological modernization. The experience has resulted in an “unquenchable drive to solve complex problems”—a good fit with his “natural analytical curiosity.”

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But in 2014, after losing his mother to cancer, he began to reevaluate his career. “After my mother passed,” he says, “I decided to take concrete steps to achieve my educational goals and pursue my MBA. Her lifelong love of learning has stayed with me.”

Participating in a traditional, on-ground MBA program was not an option because of his frequent international travel. Eller’s Online MBA provided the flexibility he needed.

“I was fortunate to find such a prestigious program,” Jones says, “and even luckier to have excellent faculty like Price Fishback [professor of economics]. Every lecture reflected genuine passion that naturally drew the class into his experience and wisdom.”

With his MBA now in hand, Jones looks forward to shifting from global intelligence to corporate strategy, with a particular focus on corporate strategy and learning and development—ideally for a tech company back in the U.S.

The skillset he believes will most carry over from his current intelligence and global strategy work to the corporate world may be surprising: business war-gaming. “War-gaming fosters incredible team cohesion and sets strategies to address challenges not otherwise considered,” he says. These strategies allow the team to “make calculated predictions based on the internal organization, external influences and potential risks to success.” Decision making is enhanced and the team becomes stronger with each decision.

Increasing teamwork is also at the heart of Jones’ work as a mentor, particularly for young military professionals.

“I love listening to different perspectives and adding my own in ways that might help others achieve their goals,” he says.

He has mentored more than 75 people over the last several years, including his colleagues and other professionals as well as random strangers he may interact with day-to-day.

“Usually people talk about their goals and dreams as if they are fantasies; that’s when my mind kicks into problem-solving mode,” he says. “I find the greatest reward in learning someone’s individual story and, if given the opportunity, helping them identify challenges and obstacles they perceive to halt their progress. I believe, together, we can translate their dreams to goals and eventually accomplishments.”

As he considers the impact he can have on an organization once he comes back to the U.S., he returns to what he learned in the Eller Online MBA.

“The Eller MBA’s focus on social responsibility is one of the most impactful results of continuing my education,” he says. “Putting people above self-interests is essential, and strategic.”

By combining his two interests in helping organizations meet goals and enabling individuals to gain a deeper understanding of their worth, Jones is leading his own strategic transformation. The corporate world is next.