The Hub Scott Montgomery—Uncorking a global vision for a growing wine importer

Scott Montgomery—Uncorking a global vision for a growing wine importer

Scott Montgomery: Master of Business Administration, 2009
Based in: Toronto, Ont.

Scott Montgomery was a sales rep for a growing wine company when he realized he needed to augment his business skills. His job required frequent travel, so he searched for a flexible MBA program that would allow him to complete courses remotely. He enrolled at Athabasca University (AU) and was struck by the diversity of students in the program—he was the only person in his cohort who worked in the wine industry. He learned to see the bigger picture of running a healthy company in the long term and 13 years later, he’s a vice-president at one of North America’s top wine importers. Here, he shares how AU helped to get him there.

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You enrolled in the MBA program in 2006. Where were you in your career?

At the time, I was working for a company called Constellation, running their sales and marketing in Canada. As the company grew, it was clear to me that it was becoming more corporate and more centralized, and I realized I didn’t have the tools to flourish in the company as it was changing. Around that time, Constellation bought Vincor, Canada’s largest wine company, and my team of 5 people was merging into a company of 2,000 . I realized an MBA program would give me more credibility to build my career.

Scott Montgomery

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And what drew you to AU’s MBA program?

Once I decided that an MBA would be a good idea, I looked for programs with flexible schedules. I was in my early 40s, I travelled frequently for work, and I couldn’t be tied to the classroom. AU jumped right out. At first, I was just attracted to the prospect of being online. As I dug into it more, I liked the philosophy. It was about enabling people, and I appreciated the diversity of the people in my cohort.

Scott Montgomery

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What kind of people did you encounter in your program?

I was pretty much the only person in the wine industry. There were people from the Canadian military; one student was on a Canadian destroyer in the Persian Gulf. Others worked for Manitoba Hydro, in healthcare, in banking. There were lots of different age groups, and it was pretty evenly split between male and female students, which was interesting to me because the wine industry is so skewed toward men, although that’s changing. One woman in our cohort had just given birth to twins.

Scott Montgomery

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What were the courses you appreciated most?

Well, I was already in marketing, so I already knew a lot of that stuff. But the strategy course was particularly helpful. It taught me to think long term about how to build a business. In the day-to-day of getting things done, you lose sight of the big picture. If you’re trying to get into the leadership role, you need vision about where you’re going. I also liked the finance courses, where I learned how to properly read balance sheets and financial statements. And I was fascinated by the course on negotiations and conflict management. I learned about setting goal posts and knowing when to shut up.

Scott Montgomery

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Where did you take your new skills after graduating?

As soon I finished the program in the spring of 2009, I was packaged out from Constellation. But as a newly minted MBA, I knew I was going to be fine. By December 2009, I had 3 job offers on the table. The role I took was a large family owned winery called Della Cotto Family Vineyards.

I was running the Americas division, and the financial training I got through my MBA came in handy. That was one of the first jobs whose bonus structure was entirely based on profitability, and I knew how to aim for the bottom right corner. I outlined a 5 year plan for the company. There’s no way I could have articulated it without the training from AU’s MBA program.

Scott Montgomery

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And where are you working now?

Two years ago, I was recruited by a major private importer called Palm Bay International. It had just developed a new California brand, and they wanted to take it to a wider global market. At the interview, I analyzed what they were doing, their potential, and said, “Here’s how you’re going to go about this.” At the end of the interview, I said, “Okay, there’s your blueprint. Take it as free consulting.” Shortly after, I got a phone call. They said, “We’re not going to look at anyone else until you tell us no.”

Scott Montgomery

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What role does your AU education play in your day-to-day work?

The program offered everything I could want: diversity of subjects, of people, of viewpoints, all bundled up in a coherent, consistent package. When I started the program, I was a marketing manager. Now I’m a vice-president of international business, and my income has tripled. I’ve been able to build an entire division from scratch. It’s the kind of experience you can get through training or experience. I got it through both.

Scott Montgomery

Learn more about Athabasca University’s Master of Business Administration.

Published:
  • September 1, 2019
Tagged In:
Faculty of Business, mba, MBA25,