Operating Model
Strategy Program Operating Model
The Strategy Program administers four career clubs that serve students across campus. Club membership is open by career interest, not by major: a student headed for consulting, product, or corporate strategy belongs in the relevant club whether they are a strategy major or not. Roughly half the leaders in this room are majoring in something else.
The program has grown by 50% over the last five years and now serves 120 new students per year through the major, plus another 100 to 200 students from other majors across the Marriott School and campus. The operating model below aligns faculty, student leaders, career services, and academic advisement at that scale. It has three parts.
1. Integrated Leadership
Four roles share oversight of the student leadership team. They oversee the clubs on behalf of the whole student population the clubs serve, not only strategy majors.
| Role | Who | Responsibility |
|---|---|---|
| Program Director | Scott Murff | Program strategy and cross-unit coordination |
| Business Career Director | Soraya Cullimore | Employer relationships; supervises the three career club co-president pairs |
| Advisement Director | Lisa Giguere | Academic advising and graduation planning |
| Club faculty advisors | See below | Mentorship, industry connections, domain expertise |
2. The Clubs
Each career club exists to open doors and prepare students for a specific profession. The clubs are organized around where students are headed, not what they are majoring in, and are open to students from any major. The Strategy Program administers them and supplies the faculty advisors and career services support.
MCA, PMA, and CSA co-presidents report operationally to Soraya Cullimore, with a dotted line to their faculty advisor. WSA is an affinity group providing community and mentorship; its co-presidents report directly to Lena Lizunova.
| Club | Full name | Mission | Faculty advisor |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCA | Management Consulting Association | Place students at consulting firms, any major | David Bryce |
| PMA | Product Management Association | Place students in PM and product adjacent roles, any major | Scott Murff |
| CSA | Corporate Strategy Association | Place students in corporate strategy and ops roles, any major | Ben Lewis |
| WSA | Women in Strategy Association | Community and mentorship for women across majors | Lena Lizunova |
Ben Lewis is the current CSA advisor. Two earlier sources still say Mark Hansen: the operating model PDF, and the May 2026 email announcing the operating model. Ben Lewis is correct.
3. Leadership Selection
Leadership positions are open to students from any major. What qualifies someone is credibility in the career track the club serves, not enrollment in the strategy major.
Current co-presidents nominate successors. The hiring committee considers those nominations and makes the final decision. Volunteer VPs are selected by co-presidents with no committee approval required.
| Position | Count | Hiring committee |
|---|---|---|
| Presidency: co-presidents, VP Events, VP Marketing | 4 | Scott Murff |
| MCA co-presidents | 2 | Soraya Cullimore and David Bryce |
| PMA co-presidents | 2 | Soraya Cullimore and Scott Murff |
| CSA co-presidents | 2 | Soraya Cullimore and Ben Lewis |
| VP Alumni | 1 | Soraya Cullimore and Scott Murff |
| VP Student Development | 1 | Lisa Giguere and Scott Murff |
| WSA co-presidents | 2 | Lena Lizunova |
Timeline. Most positions are filled in March and active by May. MCA is the exception: co-presidents are selected in November, after consulting offers settle. Off-cycle graduations can create mid-year vacancies, which the relevant hiring committee fills as needed.
MCA co-president criteria: demonstrated success in consulting recruiting, leadership ability, and credibility to represent the program to top firms.
Employee and Volunteer Roles
Thirteen student leaders are employees; roughly sixteen are volunteers. The difference is scope and time commitment.
| Employee | Volunteer | |
|---|---|---|
| Hours per week | 8 to 10 | 3 to 5 |
| Commitment | Full year | Semester or year |
| Scope | Owns outcomes | Owns specific tasks and initiatives |
| Accountability | Performance-based, like any job | Lower stakes, can step back when busy |
| Selection | Nominated and interviewed | Selected by co-presidents |