Describe your personal brand.

I am a resilient individual who is passionate about learning and always welcomes new challenges. Instead of shying away from problems, I enjoy tackling them head-on. I also enjoy forming great friendships with people that I work with. Through building trust and respect, I believe that great teamwork, productivity, and fun will come naturally.

What were you doing before The NUS MBA?

As a part-time MBA student, I am currently a Manager at CapitaLand Development, acting Architectural Project Manager of a landmark multi-million dollar mixed development project. I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with globally recognized Architects, technical consultants, and a team of experienced engineers and project managers. Before joining the workforce, I pursued a Masters in Architecture at NUS and had the opportunity to present my thesis to the governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike, at a Five-Continent Symposium hosted by Tokyo Metropolitan University.

Please share your key achievements and leadership roles on the programme.

Learning under Professor Lai Wai Kit has been both rewarding and fun. With my limited marketing knowledge, applying the frameworks taught in class onto real-world problem statements were the highlights for me. There were two full-day workshops where we had to prepare a marketing strategy proposal within eight hours. Despite the tight timeline, my group mates and I worked well together and capitalized on our individual strengths. While my career and postgrad studies had little to do with Business Administration, and much less Marketing, I saw it as a bonus because everything I learnt was exciting and new. I contributed by working out the presentation structure, style and materials. Through thorough research, quick case studies and market research, we managed to propose marketing strategies that would drive the business forward. I also managed to tap into my design skills and worked on a new packaging design for a beverage company! Gaining exposure to an unfamiliar field of study was definitely rewarding, and I hope to one day apply my newfound knowledge to my career.

What has been the single most stand-out experience of your MBA?

While it is common knowledge that one of the key takeaways from an MBA is the connections you make, I cannot agree more. The best experience of my MBA so far would be the Global Immersion Programme to Japan, where a group of 35 students travelled together to learn more about how global companies operate. Through a short yet packed week, I formed meaningful connections with 34 other individuals, some of who I went on to forge deep friendships with that I am sure would last a lifetime.

What advice would you give to other MBA aspirants?

The advice I would give aspiring MBA students would be to face everything with an open mind and open heart. Only through challenges do you truly grow, and an MBA classroom serves as a safe environment for you to push yourself to the limits. It does not matter how many times you fail because what matters are the experiences and the lessons you learn on the way. What you gain from the MBA is largely depends on the effort you put into it, so I would advise aspirants to immerse themselves fully in the few short yet fruitful years of the programme, and thoroughly enjoy the journey.