"Humility is a superpower, I never assume I have all the answers."
Aaron So
Reaching Out MBA Fellowship | Head of Europe Franchise, Marks and Spencer
Aaron So’s journey is marked by his thoughtful approach, dedication to understanding diverse perspectives, and commitment to building strong relationships. An Australian based in London, Aaron's career spans roles at McKinsey, Amazon, Woolworths, and BCG, before landing his current role at Marks and Spencer. His experiences and values reflect his deep-rooted belief in diversity and inclusion.
I grew up in Sydney as a child of first-wave immigrants from Hong Kong. My parents ran a dental practice, which sparked my interest in business from a young age. I initially studied law, but it wasn't my passion, so I shifted to commerce, focusing on economics. My first job was at McKinsey, which confirmed my passion for consumer businesses and the discipline of strategy, and also gave me my first experiences working internationally.
LBS came at a pivotal point in my career. I had completed my stint at McKinsey and spent time in-house in the strategy team at Woolworths. There had been plenty of pace, variety and change in those years. And I felt it was a good opportunity to take a breath and think about the right path for me.
I knew I wanted to study an MBA to expand my horizons – to meet more people, live in another country and learn different things. I considered lots of institutions, particularly in the US and the UK, but LBS’ approach was distinctly warm and welcoming. Their engagement was personal, and the focus was on how students could contribute to the community, not just what LBS could offer their careers. This really resonated with me.
The other reason I chose LBS was because of its commitment to diversity. It offers an incredible opportunity to mix with very different people who you might not otherwise meet. It constantly challenges any assumption that your way of thinking is the only right way. You must stay humble and be willing to learn. That has stuck with me and I’ve taken that attitude with me everywhere I’ve worked since.
Excellent work speaks for itself. But equally it’s just a plan on paper without a team behind it and relationships built on trust and credibility. That takes time, and a commitment to enabling others and doing the best by them. For me, leading is not necessarily about being up front and the centre of attention.
My approach to conflict is to listen first, and lead with empathy. Disagreement is inevitable and I’ve learnt to focus less time avoiding it and more on understanding why there is tension. If it’s an intellectual difference, it can be solved through data and logic. But if it’s a more personal difference, then you need to put aside your own agenda and listen first.
I don’t actually distinguish between a professional and personal legacy. I think it’s all about the impact you had on the individuals you worked with along the way. A worthwhile career to me is one where I tackled big, interesting problems by building others up, helping them see things differently and more clearly.
Down the line, I imagine AI will make some strategy tasks quicker and easier. It might even be able to write a very good board paper! But the messy and human aspects will remain. I think thoughtful leadership will be more important than ever - to connect the dots, read the room and inspire action.
Exponential technologies will absolutely change the nature of leadership. I think the task of leaders will become harder and more ambiguous. We might focus less on pure analysis, but we’ll need to understand more deeply the implications on customers, colleagues and the community. We need to be more creative and more human in our approach. I think it could be a really exciting time ahead.
