“Ed’s MBA gives him a strong understanding of accounting issues, so he can handle assignments with a financial twist, such as inventory tracing,” said Neil Taylor, deputy general counsel at Avnet and Rana’s boss. “His degree provides him with a wealth of business knowledge that makes the learning curve much easier.”
It worked; in fact, his degree led to his forming his own company, which he subsequently sold to First Advantage. “Not only did my MBA courses help me look at security in a completely different light, helping me better understand the financial aspects and consequences of crimes, but they also showed me how to demonstrate the cost benefits of security decisions, which change businesses’ view of security as a necessary, non-revenue-generating evil to a valuable asset,” said Purtell.