Gary Morton: Boston Black MBA Association Chapter Chair builds leadership skills

Gary Morton is president and CEO of the Boston chapter of the National Black MBA Association. Started in 1970, the association is a nonprofit organization of minority MBA graduates and students, business professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders. As head in Boston, which is one of 45 chapters, Morton oversees the association’s efforts to provide programs to stimulate members’ intellectual and economic growth, as well as work with a broad range of corporate, community and collegiate partners.

He is a 10 year veteran with Liberty Mutual and currently is a leader within the firm’s commercial insurance operations and analytics team. Prior to Liberty Mutual he worked with Bank of America for 10 years.

While currently studying to receive a doctoral degree in project management, he has a bachelor’s degree in finance, a master’s degree in global management and an MBA from Bentley University.

He is also the owner and principal broker of Real Estate Professionals.

Prior to becoming president and CEO of the Boston chapter of NBMBAA, Morton headed up the chapter’s Leaders of Tomorrow High School Mentorship Program.

Morton spoke with Banner Biz about his tenure as president and CEO, his plans and the current state of the Boston chapter.

As president and CEO of the Boston chapter of the National Black MBA Association what do you view as your most important priority in leading the group? What goals have you set for your tenure?

Our most important goal is people development! People development means the establishment or enrichment of both hard and soft skills with solid professional networks that allows for career advancement leading to both economic development and life-long success. This means development of a pipeline of talent from high school to the C-suite. Specifically, our plan is to cultivate more Gary Mortons, Hamel Husbands, Sabriya Stewarts and Rabby Bristols, through mentoring and leadership development, providing scholarships and coaching for college success, creating connections to career opportunities, offering skills development for corporate and entrepreneurial development, exposure to non-traditional activities, and network expansion for continued economic achievement along with full circle opportunities for paying it forward.

How long have you been involved with the NBMBAA? What is the value of membership for you personally? When you interact with new or potential members what is the one thing above all else that you tout as a benefit of involvement with the organization?

I have been involved for 22 years, starting as high school student leader in the NBMBAA’s Leaders of Tomorrow program. This program opened doors for me to Bentley University which has been a gateway to professional success. Throughout my life, the NBMBAA has provided an ongoing full circle of support and mentorship that aids in my continued development. Through our people development value proposition, there are numerous opportunities the NBMBAA offers which include development of your personal network, your business brand, and your professional polish. We often tout our national network and the numerous opportunities offered to deepen engagement with other professionals of color.

Your chapter is driven by the notion of “Proactive Leadership?” What exactly does this mean in relation to your leadership and how does your executive team put this to work?

It simply means that instead of being reactionary, we focus on fostering visionary, strategic and result-oriented leadership.

The NBMBAA emphasize five channels of engagement: education, career, leadership, entrepreneurship, and lifestyle. How do you tie these channels together to successfully fulfil the organization’s mission to stimulate the intellectual and economic growth of the organization’s members?

We do that by providing professional, leadership and educational developmental opportunities through high impact monthly events, interactive learning sessions, corporate and social networking opportunities, MBA preparation and scholarships, as well as professional skills training.

For any professional organization it is important to connect with younger generations in order to stay relevant for the future, as well as promote growth. What are some of your efforts to do so? You have also been deeply involved with the organization’s Leaders of Tomorrow program, what role does this program play in this?

As the first Leaders of Tomorrow alumni to become president, this is certainly one of the NBMBAA’s programs that I am most passionate and proud of. Through the program, we host monthly professional development sessions for high school students in order to position them to be able to attend the university of their choice and achieve lifetime success. Currently, this program is being led by another of our proactive leaders, Sharhea Wade, who also serves as an assistant vice president for State Street Bank.

The National Black MBA Association has 45 chapters. How does the Boston chapter work with the national group or other chapters in order to further its mission and goals?

We work with all chapters on an ongoing and collaborative basis to build together, share best practices, offer leadership development training and leverage the power of a national network.

Your organization has an impressive list of corporate, university and community partners. What role do the different kinds of partners play within the organization? Why is it important to have partners from three different sectors?

There are great opportunities for people development in all sectors, particularly people of color. Our partnerships facilitate reciprocal access, connections and development opportunities.

As an executive at Fortune 500 company Liberty Mutual, what experience and expertise from your professional career do you often put to work in role as president of the NBMBAA Boston?

A critical component for the continued success of Liberty Mutual is the deliberate focus and prioritization on employee growth and development. Serving as the president of the NBMBAA Boston chapter provides me with an extended opportunity to coach, mentor and further develop both professional and youth leaders of color.

In addition to your MBA, you also have several other advanced degrees and are working on your doctorate as well. What role does education play in the business world? How have you been able to better your professional success through educational development?

My parents always instilled the importance of education and I am truly thankful for that. Continuous learning and education attainment is not only a professional game changer, but it positions one to think critically, broadens our perspectives, deepens the analytical scope, and allows for increased value added contribution in any environment.

With decades of success behind it, what is next for NBMBAA Boston? Where do you see the organization in the next several years? Where do you see the organization in the next decade?

My vision is to see the Boston chapter as a premier NBMBAA chapter, innovatively leading, developing and supporting diverse professionals, entrepreneurs, corporate partners and youth leaders within our community.