I am originally from Toronto, Canada, and completed my MBA in 2011 as part of the full-time programme in partnership with London Business School. I previously worked as a buyer for the Canadian Tire Corporation, Canada’s largest mass-market retailer. In this role, I visited Hong Kong and travelled through China on various buying trips, which piqued my curiosity about the region. After working for five years, I decided to leave Canada and move to Hong Kong to pursue an MBA in a region that would not only offer a relevant educational experience in the epicentre of world growth, but also provide a cultural experience that would afford access to all that Asia has to offer. It was a humbling experience that provided an enriching education both inside the classroom and out. HKU exposed me to a fantastic network of friends and business associates, and, upon completion of the programme, I decided to relocate to Hong Kong permanently. I have now been transferred by my previous employer and work as a merchandise manager at our Hong Kong Representative Office, where I manage and mentor a team of merchandisers in sourcing products for the Canadian marketplace. For me, the most enriching parts of the MBA programme at HKU were exposure to the Asian business environment, in which the pace of change and headline news stories are driving the world’s growth, and the opportunity to travel and experience cultures across Hong Kong and China and the region more generally. I was lucky to meet people that I will call friends for life,  and am already looking back fondly at the experience as I enter the next chapter of my career.