Chisom Kane
Master's in Management
1. Tell us about yourself
Hi, I’m Chisom Kane and a former ARU student. I did my Masters in Management at the Cambridge campus and graduated in 2015. I am currently an Executive Director leading Transformation and Strategic Programmes within Howden’s Health & Benefits Division. At my core, I’m a change leader, someone who thrives on translating strategy into outcomes that strengthen performance, reduce complexity, and unlock sustainable value for organisations and the people within them.
My work sits at the intersection of strategy, technology, and people. I blend rigorous programme governance with pragmatic delivery, ensuring that large scale change isn’t just well designed, but genuinely embedded. My approach is commercial, data informed, and deeply people-centred, aligning operating models, technology, and culture to deliver measurable benefits.
My career spans enterprise transformation, technology implementation, operating model design, outsourcing and offshoring, and end to end change management. I’ve led the integration of multiple regulated entities, spearheaded major technology programmes across insurance platforms, delivered automation and system transformations, and overseen complex governance at C suite level. Across all of this, my focus has remained consistent: build strong teams, create clarity, and deliver outcomes that matter.
Originally from Nigeria, I moved to the UK for my Masters and had to navigate a completely new professional and cultural environment without a roadmap. That experience shaped my leadership philosophy and reinforced the importance of mentorship, resilience, and asking questions. Mentors and sponsors played a defining role in my journey, and today, paying that forward is a core part of who I am. I’m passionate about mentoring, inclusion, and representation, and I actively support early career and underrepresented talent to build confidence, capability, and ambition.
Looking back, my time at Anglia Ruskin University was transformational. It didn’t just equip me with academic knowledge, it gave me confidence, resilience, and a global mindset that I still draw on every day. My journey is proof that with focus, determination, and the right support, it’s possible to move from uncertainty to impact, and to build a career that is both successful and meaningful.
2. What is your fondest memory of Anglia Ruskin University?
My fondest memory is the people I met and the experience of building genuine connections across cultures. Coming from a different cultural background, ARU was a place where I learned about people, perspectives and community, and where I discovered how to blend in while still being authentically myself.
A close second is the moment I found out I scored 98/100 on my dissertation - that was defining moment for me, not because of the mark itself but because it proved to me and cemented a belief I’ve carried ever since: with hard work, determination and focus, almost nothing is impossible and you can rewrite your limits.
3. What has been your favourite job?
The job I do right now. Delivering change is endlessly interesting, no two days are the same, and that variety keeps me energised.
Working within Employee Benefits makes it even more meaningful, because the outcomes ultimately impact people’s lives and wellbeing. And when I think back to my Master’s dissertation topic, which was on “employee motivation and incentive schemes as a tool for deriving optimal productivity” which feels wonderfully full-circle given I now work in Employee Benefits and spend my days helping my organisations unlock performance through meaningful change, it genuinely feels like the stars aligned, I often get goosebumps thinking about it.
4. In one word, how would you describe Anglia Ruskin University?
Transformational
5. How did your time at ARU help you?
ARU helped me build the foundation I still rely on today: intellectual rigour, confidence, and adaptability. The diversity on campus expanded my worldview, and the academic challenge taught me how to think critically, write critically (I did an extra course on critical thinking to support my writing), structure an argument, and keep going even when the workload felt intense.
Most importantly, it strengthened my resilience, something that’s been essential as I’ve progressed into senior leadership roles delivering complex transformation.
6. What did you love about your chosen course?
I loved how practical and transferable it was. My Master’s in management gave me tools I still draw on today, especially from modules like Strategic Management and Finance for Decision Making, which continue to support how I help implement business strategy in my career.
7. What advice would you give to current students as they’re preparing to graduate?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You’re there to learn, so be curious, be bold, and soak up knowledge like a sponge. The confidence you build by asking early will compound for years.
8. What do you know now that you wish you had known whilst studying?
I wish I’d known you don’t need to have everything figured out to make progress. Career paths are rarely linear, and you don’t have to wait to feel 'ready' before you take opportunities.
Also: relationships matter. Mentors and sponsors can accelerate your growth dramatically, especially when you’re navigating unfamiliar environments.
9. Who was the biggest influence on your career?
Mentors and sponsors. When I moved to the UK from Nigeria, I had to navigate a new professional environment without a roadmap, and mentorship was pivotal in helping me break through barriers and adapt to a different working culture.
That experience shaped how I lead today and why I’m so committed to paying it forward through mentoring and championing representation.
10. What advice would you give your younger self?
Do it afraid. You are just as capable as anyone else. Confidence doesn’t always arrive first, sometimes it follows action.
11. Tell us something about yourself that most people don’t know.
Most people don’t know that despite appearing calm and collected, I often experience imposter syndrome.
I’ve learned to lean into it, project confidence, take the opportunity, then do the work to deliver.
That tension between doubt and determination has shaped my resilience, my leadership, and the way I show up for others.
12. What’s next?
Next, I want to do even more of what I love: deliver meaningful transformation at scale, continue mentoring and developing others, and use my story to encourage people from diverse backgrounds to pursue ambitious goals and continue to share the message about resilience, community and believing in what’s possible.