Kevin Osborne

“Veteran and tech-savvy problem solver passionate about teamwork, consulting, and global exploration”

Hometown: Arlington, VA

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve visited over 27 countries and love immersing myself in different cultures to gain new perspectives.

Undergraduate School and Major:

Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity, University of Maryland, University College

Most Recent Employer and Job Title:

WebFOCUS Developer at the Social Security Administration

What makes Manchester such a great place to earn an MBA degree?

I was drawn to Alliance Manchester Business School for its hands-on consultancy projects, which offer real-world experience and practical learning. Beyond the program, Manchester is an ideal place to live and study. It’s walkable, vibrant, and diverse—offering the best of both a small city and a big city. With a major airport offering direct flights across Europe, it’s also a great hub for exploring different cultures, which fits perfectly with my love of travel.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Alliance Manchester’s MBA curriculum and programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you?

I chose Alliance Manchester Business School because of its strong focus on hands-on experience through real-world consultancy projects. I knew teamwork would be central to the program, and my experience on a tactical MISO team in the U.S. military gave me confidence that I could contribute effectively in that environment. I wanted a program where I could actively apply what I was learning, not just study theory.

My goal after graduation is to get into consulting, and I was concerned that if I went to a different business school, I wouldn’t get the practical experience needed to hit the ground running as a consultant. Being in my mid-30s, it was important for me to choose a program that would not only provide strong career outcomes—like other top schools—but also help me develop the mindset and skills to thrive in consulting from day one. So far, the hands-on consultancy projects have helped me develop a consultant’s mindset, which is exactly what I was hoping for when I chose this program.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most at Alliance Manchester?

The course I’ve enjoyed the most so far has been financial accounting, particularly because of the BISSim project, where we simulated running a company. Each team member acted as a board director with responsibility for a specific business function, and I served as the Sales Director. Our goal was to make strategic decisions on pricing, production, and financing to grow the company and compete against other teams.

As the Sales Director, I was responsible for setting pricing strategies, analyzing market trends, and ensuring that our sales approach aligned with our overall business goals. The dynamic nature of the project made it especially exciting—each decision directly impacted our company’s performance, and we had to adjust our strategy in real-time. While our team didn’t win, I learned a lot about cross-functional collaboration, data-driven decision-making, and how different business functions come together to drive success. It was a fun, challenging experience, and it gave me a better understanding of how financial decisions affect a company’s overall performance.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in Alliance Manchester’s MBA program so far:

My biggest accomplishment so far has been completing the social impact consultancy project. Our team worked with a local organization to help them find creative ways to increase revenue while staying true to their mission. The project required us to think outside the box, navigate ambiguity, and collaborate effectively as a diverse team of people from different backgrounds.

One of the biggest challenges we faced was understanding the organization’s unique goals and constraints. Unlike typical classwork, where there are clear instructions and rubrics, this project required us to develop real-world solutions without a clear roadmap. We brainstormed various ideas, and with the guidance of our supervisor—an experienced consultant—we proposed a strategy that involved leveraging underutilized resources to create a new revenue stream.

This experience taught me the importance of stakeholder engagement, creative problem-solving, and managing uncertainty in real-world business contexts. It was incredibly rewarding to deliver a solution that the organization could implement, and it gave me confidence in my ability to work on complex consulting projects—something I plan to continue doing in my post-MBA career.

Alliance Manchester is known for its hands-on consultancy projects. Tell us a little bit about a project you worked on. What did you learn that will make you a better professional?

One of the most rewarding projects I worked on was with a local performing arts organization. Our team was tasked with developing a five-year strategic plan to help the organization increase revenue while maintaining its core focus on arts and culture. The challenge was balancing commercial growth with their mission to serve the arts community—a delicate balance that required thoughtful planning and innovative solutions.

We worked closely with the organization’s leadership to understand their goals, operational challenges, and available resources. One key solution we proposed was to expand their event offerings by leveraging their existing spaces for corporate functions, generating additional revenue while keeping their venues accessible to the arts. Throughout the project, we had the support of a supervisor with significant consulting experience, who helped us refine our approach and improve our client communication skills.

This project taught me the importance of managing competing priorities, engaging with stakeholders effectively, and navigating ambiguity in real-world business contexts. Unlike classroom exercises, where the expectations are clearly defined, this project required us to adapt quickly and think creatively to deliver a solution that met the client’s unique needs. It gave me confidence in my ability to work on complex consulting projects, strengthened my problem-solving skills, and prepared me to thrive in a consulting role after graduation.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:

My biggest accomplishment in my career so far was leading the redevelopment of a key reporting platform at the Social Security Administration (SSA) that supported critical internal decision-making. The platform was essential for delivering performance reports across various departments, but it had become outdated, with slow data retrieval and a time-consuming manual reporting process.

As a WebFOCUS Developer, I was responsible for designing and implementing a solution to modernize the platform. I worked closely with stakeholders to gather requirements and understand how the system could better serve their needs. One key improvement I introduced was automating key reporting processes, which reduced manual effort by 40% and significantly increased the platform’s efficiency. This not only improved the workflow for many users but also helped decision-makers access accurate data faster.

This experience taught me the importance of translating technical solutions into business value, collaborating across teams, and managing stakeholder expectations. What made this project especially rewarding for me was knowing that my work directly improved operations at a large-scale organization, which reinforced my passion for solving complex problems and delivering real impact—skills I look forward to applying in my future consulting career.