Max Ryan: Scaling value-led consulting for sustainable impact

What led you to choose the Cambridge MBA?

I have spent the last several years working for leading consulting firms, focused on blending a deep technical expertise in valuations and corporate finance with strategic decision-making. At this stage of my career, I see the MBA as an opportunity to take a step back, to reflect and to grow as a strategic thinker and leader. The Cambridge MBA stood out to me for its balance of academic rigour and experiential learning, its focus on bringing together a global and diverse cohort and the opportunity to join a broader University ecosystem that has inspired and shaped so many of the world’s most influential thinkers and leaders.

What has been your biggest career accomplishment so far?

I started my career at PwC, where I helped to establish a new team focused on value consulting. The team blends a deep expertise in corporate finance and valuations with strategic advisory to help organisations understand the full value impact of their decisions, from both a shareholder and stakeholder value perspective. Our work has helped clients across multiple sectors make value-led decisions, from helping businesses lead their sectors in sustainability by investing in cutting-edge climate technologies to advising governments on the broader community value impacts of major policy choices. The success of our team and our unique value-first approach enabled me to progress from a graduate to Associate Director at PwC in just 3 and a half years, one of the fastest promotion timelines in the firm’s history. This was meaningful validation of our value proposition and I’m incredibly proud of the unique capability we built and the impact we delivered. I’m now continuing to build and evolve this capability at EY-Parthenon, helping organisations make smarter, more sustainable decisions through a value-first lens.

How do you feel about receiving your scholarship?

I am deeply honoured to receive the Dean’s Scholarship for Outstanding Academic Achievement. To be recognised for my academic and professional accomplishments by Cambridge Judge Business School is both humbling and inspiring. I recognise the responsibility that accompanies this honour and it motivates me to uphold the highest standards of excellence while supporting and uplifting others throughout my time here. This scholarship made it possible for me to pursue the Cambridge MBA and I’m sincerely grateful for that opportunity. 

What do you hope to gain from the MBA over the next year?

The Cambridge MBA offers a chance to learn from exceptional people from around the world, each bringing unique perspectives shaped by different experiences, industries and cultures. I’m excited to immerse myself in the programme’s experiential components, such as the Cambridge Venture Project and to challenge myself by working in diverse teams to solve complex, real-world problems. Through these experiences, I hope to deepen my leadership skills, broaden my global outlook and build lasting connections with people who will go on to make a meaningful difference in their fields and communities. 

Where do you see the MBA taking you in your future career?

My immediate goal is to return to EY-Parthenon, where I am helping to build a value consulting capability in Australia and abroad. I believe deeply in this offering, which unites the technical world of corporate finance and valuations with the innovative and constantly evolving world of strategy to help organisations make value-led decisions, whether that value be financial, social or environmental. The Cambridge MBA will equip me with the leadership acumen, global perspective and strategic toolkit needed to scale this capability at EY-Parthenon, allowing me to drive meaningful impact for clients and communities on an even greater scale. 

What does Cambridge mean to you?

Cambridge is an extraordinary place, its history and alumni embody academic excellence and innovation. Yet, what inspires me most are its people. Every conversation here offers a new lesson about business, an industry, a culture or me. This constant exchange of ideas creates a unique and intellectually stimulating environment that has instilled in me a mindset of perpetual learning that I hope to carry for the rest of my life. It is a true privilege to be part of this global community of thinkers and changemakers.

Something few people know about you… 

Few people know just how much my family means to me. They are the quiet force behind everything I do, the grounding presence that reminds me of what truly matters, no matter how intense life or work becomes.