Scott Russell credits the Advanced Management Program (AMP) with expanding his ability to think outside the box—and across the globe—as he strives to meet the changing needs of Ferguson's customers. In addition, Russell says he is now a profoundly different person—more confident, focused on others, and motivated to keep learning.
We need executives who are focused on the future. To stay relevant to our customers, we must make sure our leaders can evolve our business so that we continue to provide the right solutions and meet diverse customer needs during the buying process.
AMP was unbelievable—the greatest eight weeks of my life. Not many companies give you the opportunity to truly get away and focus on yourself. I didn't respond to any emails or phone calls from the office. That was a directive from our CEO that meant, "We're investing in you, allowing you to dig deep, look inside, and grow exponentially."
I had a tremendous living group. We became very, very close and have worked hard to stay in contact. You can't share such an intense experience and then let those people slip away. Three members of my living group have become part of my personal board. It's vital that we stay connected and use our knowledge and experience to help change each other. The living group is a huge asset for me.
AMP was transformational—a real confidence builder. For example, I'm now more willing to make structural changes and move personnel around. AMP also helped me think outside the box; I am exploring new customer and vendor segmentation that will help us focus and improve our strategy.
In addition, those eight weeks really changed me as a person. I came back ready to make changes, not only in myself, but also in the amount of time I spend with my family. I want to make a difference in the lives of other people. The AMP program is just the start. I realize now that you have to keep learning, studying, reading, and improving yourself.
Having the AMP experience in common has helped the company tremendously. The 12 of us who attended AMP are now in sync. Our discussions are different. We think more strategically and talk about where we need to be five years from now, and how we need to change the business to get there. That's worth a lot more than the price of admission.
I highly recommend AMP for every senior executive. If you invest the time to learn, spend time with professors, and spend time with your classmates, the program will return that investment many times over.
