A Shared Language between Military and Business
In the course Hacking for Defense, service-member students take a leading role in solving entrepreneurial problems.
A Shared Language between Military and BusinessAlumni Stories Driven to Innovate
Meet Michael D. Armstrong, ’02
Michael D. Armstrong knows not to make assumptions about local markets. Instead, he focuses on what they reveal and uses that insight to fuel new opportunities.
- March 28, 2017
- Innovation
Michael Armstrong: 00:05
In this global economy, the notion that one kind of thinking is going to lead the day is just not the case. And coming out of Booth with that really open thinking and understanding, I think it really allowed me to jumpstart myself in international.
Michael Armstrong: 00:21
My personal leadership style is really about making sure that people and their desires and dreams and goals come first. Impact, to me, is about making sure you stand out, but not in a way that's in an individual way, but that you're of value to your colleagues. I really wanted to challenge myself on some of the more quantitative lessons that I had exposure to but not kind of Booth-level exposure to, and I learned some really great concepts on marketing strategy that I've used in my career to continue to advance.
Michael Armstrong: 01:01
Moving through my career, I decided I was going to live really driving toward doing innovative things, trying things, not being afraid to fail. Launching BET outside the US, that was something that a number of people had tried before, and others thought really wasn't going to work. And so, being able to get launches in places like the Middle East and France, in places like the UK, is a real dream come true to me. I was already working at Viacom in our MTV networks division, and the Booth community was great for me because, while I was excelling in my career, I had an opportunity to continue to learn. And I made some great friends and really had a great experience doing those two things simultaneously.
Exposing new markets to innovative American entertainment and building international relationships are passions for Michael D. Armstrong, the executive vice president of worldwide television licensing and operations at Paramount Pictures. Early in his career, Michael selected Booth's Evening MBA Program to develop a more solid foundation and support his advancement within Viacom. At Booth, he was able to sustain his career momentum while building on his skills and expanding his network. His experience continues to be instrumental to his continued success navigating the inherent risks in a rapidly changing industry.
“We can redesign our business approach market by market and around the world to meet the needs of where the consumer is and where they are going.”
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