Business success begins with knowing people around you

Keith Chua, Malaysia, Full-time, Class of 2019

Pre-MBA:  Supplier Quality Engineer, Univac Precision Engineering, Singapore

Post-MBA: Consultant, ebp Global, Hong Kong

 

“You must learn them before you begin to manage anyone else, and a top MBA programme opens the door to a more comprehensive understanding of how people think and behave.” Keith Chua, a recent CUHK MBA graduate, summarised why he chose the Programme.

A Malaysian Chinese who once worked in Singapore as a supplier quality engineer, Keith grew up in a multicultural background that has helped him develop a truly global vision.  For him, studying for an MBA in Hong Kong served a couple of purposes.  Taking a “sabbatical” in an exotic environment would enable him to gain new experience, and a business-oriented higher degree would be the source of better opportunities for career advancement.  Last but not least, he wanted to stay close with his family and Hong Kong was one of the best choices available in view of its geographical proximity to his hometown.

Keith is now a supply chain management consultant meeting clients’ needs by providing advisory services and deploying IT solutions to solve their supply chain problems.  “Special thanks go to my alma mater for helping me secure my current job through its strong network,” said Keith.

Education at the CUHK, especially the leadership vision and personal aspects of running a business unit, empowers him to better manage his co-workers, partners and customers.

Curriculum-wise, he praised the Operation Management course which has proved to be highly relevant in the workplace.  “The study tours to Taiwan and Chengdu were inspiring.  In Taiwan, we visited cultural and social enterprises such as Franz Collection, one of the world’s leaders in porcelain art.  We also interacted with fellow students and faculty members at Taidah Entrepreneurship Centre.”  In Chengdu, he was able to see how the logistics network and business ecosystem work in Western China of which he has limited knowledge.  “These visits are truly eye-opening.  I wouldn’t have experienced first-hand what another part of the world was doing if I’d not taken the CUHK MBA programme.”

Keith said chairing the 2018 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Conference is one of the most unforgettable highlights of his experience as an MBA student. “As Conference President, it was my responsibility to take care of every aspect of the event from sponsorship, speaker relations to event management. It was a highly demanding task that required effective negotiation and communication skills as well as reasonable insights into the latest trends in sustainability.”

“But organising an event for more than 100 attendees and speakers is an unrivalled opportunity that nobody can afford to miss!  Just imagine you need to lead a committee of students from very different cultural and academic backgrounds, and to motivate them to achieve some common goals.  The experience has toughened me up for greater challenges in the future.”

Keith also thanked the CUHK for connecting him to the local and regional business communities.  “I’m particularly grateful to the University’s network for bringing me to the Hong Kong company that I’m working for.”

His next step is to gain further experience that will qualify him as a genuine expert in the field of supply chain management.  “Given my engineering background and the training I received at the CUHK, I think it won’t take long for me to achieve my goal!”