Management experience

The best predictor of future performance is looking at past performance. This can apply even if they don't have the specific kind of experience you're looking for but if it relates then it should still be utilized. If I was faced with a situation like this in which I had an employee who had been with the organization for seven years, has completed his/her master's AND has worked with the customer service department with minor experience overseeing others or has proven that they are capable of doing such I would definitely hire him/her if I felt they were the best candidate. You need to be given the chance to gain experience for the first time so I understand that not everyone will always have management experience to offer until you give them the opportunity to get it. 

I think it really depends on the position you are hiring for and what will be required of them. If it is a position that will be overseeing many people and making big decisions that will directly affect employees and the organization I would for sure require management experience. But if it was a smaller management position, such as being in charge of a small department, and the candidate has relevant experience and has the skills needed to excel as a leader then I would not require the management experience. 

It is definitely in the employer's and the organization's best interests to hire those whose personal identities align with the company's, but that may not always be the case. I think it's great that you brought up how someone's personal identity and the organization's identity may differ. It probably isn't likely that anyone's individual identity will perfectly match up with the company's anyway and that's okay. This way the organization can be challenged to think differently and take other perspectives into consideration. While values and beliefs should not be sacrificed it will help individuals and the organization grow when they are forced to think outside the box and interact with those who act and think differently. Say you worked for a company who did something unethical that really didn't align with your beliefs or morals, would you be able to continue working there?