I’m currently working in marketing at Moet Hennessy Diageo, having spent the past ten years with liquor companies in Shanghai, London, Melbourne and now Hong Kong. I have led sales teams and brand strategy and am now responsible for a portfolio of luxury spirits.

I was born in New Zealand and completed a bachelor of arts in political science at Victoria University of Wellington. While studying, I managed the bar at one of the country’s top restaurants, which led to a job in Shanghai with a start-up that was expanding sales of New Zealand-made vodka to China. In 2007 this independent brand was acquired by the world’s biggest privately-held spirits company, Bacardi. It was an eye opening experience making the transition from start-up to established multinational company and my interest in corporate culture has continued to evolve since, leading to me being recruited by Diageo, the largest spirits company in the world, in 2013.

I decided to enroll in the MBA at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) to round out my education across finance and logistics, and to build upon my practical experience in sales and marketing. I chose HKU because so much of my professional experience has been in Asia and it is such a dynamic and truly international city. My classes so far have been made up of a diverse mix of students from different countries and different professions.

Studying while maintaining a full time job is not always easy but the classes are well-scheduled and teaching staff are always supportive and approachable. The professors and depth of talent across the staff make HKU an ideal place to study.