They say an MBA is more than just a course. It is a journey, both personal and professional. A path chosen to lead you to your goals. An experience to enrich and build your personality, while you get to understand yourself better. A medium to build your network and learn the tricks of the trade. My MBA at HKU-LBS was all of the above.

I came to Hong Kong to understand the business environment in Asia’s financial capital. As a gateway to China, Hong Kong also offered the unique opportunity to know about the Chinese work and social culture; from the strong concept of face, to learning the intricacies of guanxi and its impact on business relationships. Besides staying in and exploring Beijing for a month at the start of the programme, through constant interaction during project work and over spicy Hunan food, I got many pertinent insights from my Chinese classmates about the Chinese way of life and what makes them tick.

The courses at HKU and LBS, which are taught by leading professors who are thought leaders and subject matter experts, helped me to learn new things and upgrade my knowledge and professional skill-set; in particular, the courses on advanced financial concepts learnt in HK and the  course on leadership and people skills taught in London. By utilizing the Career Development and Training and wider HKU/LBS clubs and events, I was able to interact with established professionals and C-Level executives from all walks of life. I got an opportunity to visit some of the biggest Investment firms in the world, while also being invited to Westminster and interacting with European Central Bankers

From an aggregation of advice and insights from mentors and alumni, combined with my interaction with the industry, I was able to decide on a career path that not only builds on my past career, but also suits my personality. After exploring the job market and opportunities, I took up the role of Senior Consultant with GreySpark Partners, who are global capital markets experts. As a capital markets consultant, I am able to leverage off my background in markets and work on solving problems for our clients. Being a people’s person, my personality helps in building rapport with clients and team mates, a very important part of being a consultant.

A big part of doing an MBA came into play once I finished my course and used the HKU-LBS network to build professional relationships and establish me in the industry. Having now completed my MBA and re-entered the professional landscape, I intend to further enhance my network through more interaction with the wider and established University of Hong Kong alumni whilst helping grow the London Business School alumni base in Hong Kong.