QuickTakes Q&A ~
Brief Bio (background):
Colleen Murray is an experienced leader and consultant, drawing on more than 25 years in executive leadership, operations, and human resources. As the founder of Ops-ology LLC in Portland, Oregon, Colleen partners with professional service and sustainability focused organizations to deliver fractional operations and project-based work.
Prior to launching her own firm, Colleen spent over two decades at Perkins & Co—Portland’s largest locally owned public accounting firm—where she advanced from HR Manager to Director of Operations and Shareholder, leading core operational initiatives and helping drive firmwide transformation during periods of significant growth.
Colleen holds an MBA, PROSCI change management certification, the SHRM-SCP credential, and has taught Organizational Behavior at Portland State University.
Why did you select University of Portland for your degree program?
Core to my decision-making was accreditation, class size, quality of program, and program design to support a professional working full-time. Other programs were physically closer to me at the time but UP was responsive, flexible, supportive, and has an excellent reputation.
What are you doing now since graduating from UP School of Business?
My MBA was pivotal in substantiating my interest and capabilities in operations leadership at my company at the time. Getting my graduate degree while working full-time gave my supervisors confidence in my ability to take on new and hard things and transition my leadership from human resources to firm-wide operations.
A few years after I graduated, I started to get involved in volunteer work in the areas I’m passionate about including animal welfare, arts and culture, and the environment. I’ve been the board chair for an environmental non-profit that started in Portland and now serves businesses and individually globally.
What advice would you give to someone considering a graduate degree or certificate?
I strongly believe that an individual needs to have a clear purpose for taking the time and money to go to graduate school or obtain a certification. This isn’t as obvious as it sounds—many people consider graduate school when they aren’t sure what to do next.
To really capitalize on the experience, it’s the right decision when you honestly desire the learning experience and can articulate how it fits in to either your next professional endeavor or your long-term goals.
Until those pieces are clear, it’s best to continue to build work experience and learn about yourself. Graduate school and specialty certifications are an incredible tool to further knowledge, transition jobs, and seek advanced work.
