Oct 29, 2012 2 min read

Former Microsoft executive and renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist Anil Singh-Morales was encouraged by his parents to become a doctor or a lawyer in order to make a good salary. Instead, to their dismay, Singh-Morales earned degrees in comparative English literature, philosophy and theology. It all turned out well for Singh-Morales, a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow who visited Washington & Jefferson College and met with students and faculty members last week to discuss the value of a liberal arts degree and to share his knowledge and perspective about global entrepreneurship and philanthropy. At a Wednesday lecture, Morales encouraged students to “listen to their own voice” and avoid letting other people make choices for them. A winner of the Microsoft Achievement Award, Singh-Morales offered three pieces of advice: Find your gift or talent and focus on that; do as many things well as you can, without getting overextended; and give back. “There’s no joy in life unless you help others,” said Singh-Morales. The father of six is fluent in three languages. He was born in Holland to a Spanish mother and an Indian father, and there was no common language in their household – which forced Singh-Morales to become adept at reading body language, a skill that has proven valuable in his international travel. Drawing on his cross-cultural upbringing, managerial skills and liberal arts education, Singh-Morales rose from managing a Microsoft foreign language team to overseeing all internationalization vendor relations for the company, and regularly had the ear of Bill Gates. He said his liberal arts education taught him to communicate concisely and helped him to develop common sense – a trait sorely lacking in modern business – and helped him to discover his purpose and his place in the world. “If you don’t have a sense of who you are and what you want to be, you’re a lost soul,” said Singh, who also encouraged students to travel abroad and to work at internships. Since leaving Microsoft, Singh-Morales founded and serves as chief executive officer of EchoMundi LLC, an international services firm that helps corporations do business abroad. He is co-founder of the Preeclampsia Foundation and founded Seeds of Compassion, a humanitarian organization. “Overcome your fears. Recognize them for what they are,” said Singh-Morales. “You can’t change the ‘thing,’ but you can change your perspective about it.”