Do you need a PhD to be a General Manager?

I had an interesting conversation with an old friend over the weekend. He is based in U.S. and he works as a Sales Director for a Swiss industrial company.

He observed that many of the senior executives and general managers in his companies have PhD degrees.

He had discussions with his manager about his career progression and his manager reminded him that many of the senior executives used to be in technical roles.

That's why he asked me "Do you need a PhD to be a General Manager?"

My answer is not straightforward. From my perspective in Asia, it is uncommon for GMs to have a PhD But in Germany, Switzerland and several European countries, there are many more PhD-qualified professionals. Therefore, it's not uncommon to see many senior executives have a PhD.

One of the main reasons is that many Europeans can obtain advanced degrees with no school fees and there is a social safety net in the society. In Asia, the pressure to start working after obtaining a Bachelor's degree is quite high.

My short conclusion is "it depends on how the company management perceives the importance of academic qualifications".

Later, our discussion shifted to "What about an MBA?"

I observed that MBAs are a lot more common among senior executives in Asia.

My friend lamented that the school fees of MBA programs are very high. I agree with him as it is often the most profitable program in the university.

For many senior executive roles, having a Masters qualification is not a must, but it is seen as a good plus.

So, if you are in your 30s, 40s or even 50s, pursuing an advanced qualification is never too late. Of course, you need to make some financial planning to ensure a good return of investment.

What is your take on advanced education?