My grandfather, Barry Byrne, was a renowned architect (I promise this has to do with marketing). When he retired, Marquette University invited him to join their faculty. Then they discovered his formal education ended with his freshman year of high school. They withdrew the invitation. It didn’t matter that for 50 years he’d designed buildings around the world. It didn’t matter that he got his start as Frank Lloyd Wright’s apprentice. What mattered was the degree, not the skills.
Gene De Libero says CMOs need to avoid a similar mistake and prioritize skills over degrees. Technology is moving too fast for educators to keep up. Requiring academic certification will mean missing out on people who have the technical and analytical skills needed to do the job. That’s especially important in a very tight job market.
Constantine von Hoffman
Managing Editor
