News

Wade Cruse ‘92 never imagined that a degree in material science & engineering from Lehigh University would lead him to a career at the helm of Southeast Asian operations for one of the world’s largest management consulting firms. Nevertheless, his journey underscores the importance of an international education in today’s interconnected world.

“If you had asked me while I was at Lehigh whether I would be doing this type of job and living almost half my life on the other side of the world, I just wouldn’t have believed it,” said Wade Cruse, Managing Partner, Southeast Asia at Bain & Company. “I’m quite lucky to be able to do a job like mine. Every day is different, and every day is incredibly interesting.”

From the steel mills of Kentucky and Alabama to the boardrooms of Singapore, Cruse’s career path has been anything but conventional. And it all began at Lehigh University, which he credits with teaching him to think globally and providing a rigorous academic environment that prepared him for the complex problems he faces today.

“Wade’s career underscores the importance of understanding and embracing diverse cultures,” said Cheryl Matherly, Lehigh’s Vice President and Vice Provost for International Affairs. “At Lehigh, we are committed to fostering this kind of international outlook and preparing our students to engage the world, address global challenges, and live lives of meaning.

An International Career Path

Following his 1992 graduation from Lehigh, Cruse began his career in research and development at Air Products in Allentown. Out of the blue, he was approached for a job in a newly-established steel mill in Ghent, Ky. He worked there, followed by another start-up steel mill in Decatur, Ala., before deciding to pursue a career in business.

Cruse obtained his MBA from Harvard Business School in 2000 and soon began working in management consulting. Just weeks into his first job with the New York-based Marakon Associates, Cruse was asked to move to the firm’s new office in Singapore.

“I signed up for six months, which became a year, then two, and I never ended up coming back,” Cruse said.

In 2005, Cruse joined Bain & Company, a prominent and influential management consulting firm known for its strategic expertise and client results. As Managing Partner, he oversees the company’s Southeast Asia business, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

Keys to Success

His role includes advising clients on strategy and transformation across multiple industries. Although most of his career has been in Southeast Asia, he has also lived and worked in the United Kingdom.  As a result of his time in Asia, he has developed  considerable expertise in major markets like China, India, Japan, Australia, and the Middle East.

Cruse believes that understanding different cultures is key to a successful international business career. He emphasized the importance of understanding and empathizing with people from diverse cultural backgrounds, an area where he feels his Lehigh education was particularly beneficial.

“In this business, you often work with individuals whose practices and viewpoints differ from your own,” Cruse said. “It’s important to recognize that these differences aren’t necessarily wrong, but are reflective of different cultural contexts. Trying to understand the other side and working through it is critical for effective collaboration in an international community.”

Cruse said his time at Lehigh was central to helping him adapt to the different business operations and cultural environments in Southeast Asia. In particular, he feels Lehigh’s rigorous academic environment provided him the foundational problem-solving skills and analytical approach that have been crucial for his successful career.

Lehigh's Global Outlook

Cruse also believes Lehigh’s emphasis on international education contributed significantly to his global outlook. He praised Lehigh’s study abroad program and initiatives like Iacocca Institute’s Global Village, an intensive program that teaches entrepreneurship and leadership skills to university students and young professionals from throughout the world.

“I’ve met and worked with quite a few Global Village alumni over the course of my career,” Cruse said. “We have someone working for us in Vietnam, who I didn’t realize until recently was a Global Village alum. I think that’s wonderful, and it really speaks to the global reach of Lehigh University and its international education programs.”

Cruse’s career has been marked by many unexpected turns, and he expresses deep gratitude for the opportunities he’s encountered along the way. He credits the global perspective and analytical skills honed at Lehigh as essential tools for successfully navigating his varied and evolving professional journey.

“My experiences have been incredibly rewarding and I appreciate the strong educational foundation I received at Lehigh that has allowed me to have such an interesting career,” Cruse said.