High School

Classes that will give you a good foundation for this profession include mathematics, business, economics, and computer science. Strong communication skills are needed for strategy management work so be sure to take English and speech classes also.

Postsecondary Training

Most employers prefer to hire strategy managers who have a bachelors degree, and some require a masters degree or a bachelors degree coupled with several years of related work experience. The areas of study vary depending on the industry in which the strategy manager works. Many have a degree in business administration, economics, finance, or similar fields. Other areas of study cover computer science, accounting, statistics, information technology, human resources management, marketing, supply chain management, and architecture and environmental design.

Other Education or Training

Strategy managers must stay informed of current best practices and innovations in their profession as well as in the industries in which they work. They attend conferences and take classes offered by professional associations such as the American Management Association and the Association for Strategic Planning, among others.

Certification

Strategy managers who have certification demonstrate to potential employers that they have achieved a high level of knowledge and skills in their profession. The Association for Strategic Planning offers the Strategic Management Professional and Strategic Planning Professional certifications to eligible candidates. Find information at https://www.strategyassociation.org/page/certification. Strategy managers may also be certified in project and program management, through groups such as the American Academy of Project Management (https://www.certifiedprojectmanager.org) and the Project Management Institute (https://www.pmi.org/certifications). 

Strategy managers usually have five or more years of prior experience. Some companies prefer to hire strategy managers who have several years of consulting experience in their industry coupled with a masters degree in business administration. Strategy managers must have strong analytical and organizational skills. They must be detail oriented, able to gather information from numerous sources, analyze it, and share information with others in ways that are clearly understood. Strategy managers must be patient, have strong communication skills, and be able to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with others. The job requires active listening and active learning to keep up with information, identify problems, and make recommendations for solutions. Adaptability is also essential because this job is in a variable workplace where things can change at any time. Strategy managers who do best in this field have a flexible attitude and are persistent in dealing with challenges.