Oliver Ferguson

What is your previous job experience?

I have always been eager to learn and so I started working from a young age to get to grips with the “world of work”. I spent a few years in retail and hospitality, which really helped with my communicative and interpersonal skills. A big highlight from my time in hospitality was working in the Wembley Stadium boxes with the VVIPs.

More recently, I had the opportunity to complete an internship at a management and operations consultancy named SíBeyond. I was brought on right at the start as a ‘Client Services Officer’ where I dealt with a lot of the administration, media, correspondence and sales development for the business. Since it is a small company, I was able to work in all sorts of areas, which has proven to be invaluable in my new role here at the Møller Institute.

What will your role at the Møller Institute consist of and what part of the world are you responsible for?

My role at the Møller Institute is that of a Sales Development Coordinator. Primarily, my job is to help drive new business and opportunities in my target market – Europe.

What that looks like will probably vary from day-to-day, but in most cases, it means I will be dealing with client communications, sales outreach efforts, CRM upkeep, and networking. At the heart of it all though, I am a big fan of utilising interesting and worthwhile data to improve my work methodologies – which is a key part of my role.

Do you have any academic achievements?

I graduated in 2023 from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, after studying a joint BA undergraduate course in Development Studies and East Asian Studies. It was a really compelling degree which was able to equip me with a great understanding of business practices on a global scale. As part of my course, I also took a year of Economics to complement my studies.

What made you want to work at the Møller Institute?

I was drawn to work at the Møller Institute because of its stellar reputation in its field alongside their impressive client list. The Executive Education team here, who are the best at what they do, had also built a working environment and culture which resonated with me and complimented my work ethic.

What appealed to you about this position and led you to join the team?

I have been eager to utilise my social and problem-solving skills in a formal sales environment for some time, and this was the perfect opportunity for me to do so. Being given the opportunity to work with clients in any industry I could think of and the freedom to work as I see fit was a huge advantage for me.

Other than that, one of the main things that made me want to work here was that the team at the Møller Institute helped foster some incredible changes and improvements within their clients’ businesses. I have always wanted to make a positive difference with the work I do and the Møller Institute is the perfect place to make that happen.

How have you found working at the Møller institute so far?

Working here has been a breath of fresh air. I’ve been able to become mostly self-sufficient, however I never feel like I can’t reach out to someone if I need to. It is also a social work environment which has made it easy to get to know and get along with my colleagues pretty quickly. It is a brilliant workplace with a community that I am lucky to be a part of.

Are there any upcoming programmes or projects you’re excited about?

I am excited by the Suntory programmes since they are a very well-respected business and knowing that they have been a long-standing client of ours makes me proud to work here. Beyond that, I am excited about the programmes and projects I will be working hard to make happen.

How do you spend your free time?

A lot of what I spend my free time doing stems from my nerdiness – whether that is reading sci-fi and fantasy books, visiting the cinema, or running table-top RPG sessions with some of my friends. I also enjoy some sporting activities as well, like five-a-side football – I used to do Kendo too and I am looking forward to getting back into it.

What do you hope you achieve during your time at the Møller Institute?

I aim to bring in as many meaningful and innovative clients that I can and guide them toward our programmes, so that they can reach their own goals. I look forward to doing my part in driving more forward-thinking and positive business decisions from right here in Cambridge.