HKUST MBA SUNDIAL

9^th Issue (June 2020)

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVES
Global MBA Alumni Sharing Series

The global pandemic has revealed how distinctly different countries and companies are reacting to the crisis. While many of us have been trapped at home and face-to-face interaction has been brought to a minimum, geographical boundaries are breaking down as we devote more time in the virtual world.

Boasting an international alumni network, we seized this opportunity to launch the Global MBA Alumni Sharing Series, where our alumni share online how their countries, companies and they themselves are responding to the pandemic based on their diverse backgrounds.

We have already organized several such events since the end of February, and here is a snapshot of some of them.

The Greater China Perspective

We invited four recently graduated alumni to the first event in the series: Ling Deng from Accenture, Mindy Li from GE Healthcare, Alan Chow from AIA and Honda Wong from Vertiv. The panel offered an insider view on the challenges their industries and companies in Greater China were facing during the pandemic and shared practical tips for students interested in getting into their industries.

Succeeding with Changes

Currently based in France, Taka Omae (Class of 2010) plays the important role as Chief Strategist for ITER, an international science and technology megaproject funded by China, EU, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the U.S.—the world’s largest fusion reactor construction to demonstrate the feasibility of fusion energy as mankind's future energy source.

As an MBA student during the 2008 financial crisis with job experience across the world, Taka advised MBA students on how to sustain and succeed in the volatile environment. Riding on his expertise in angel investment, he also tapped into the tech industry as digital transformation has taken the top priority in many businesses.

Taka Omae has an intriguing career with stints in Japan, China, India and France working for NTT, PwC and now ITER in solving the energy issues facing mankind.

Next Big Wave to Change the World after the Internet Era

Samson Lee (Class of 2003) is a prominent entrepreneur and FinTech leader with over two decades of experience in the TMET sector. Graduated in the same year that the SARS epidemic devastated Hong Kong, he overcame the challenges and has achieved great success in commercializing blockchain, digital and e-business projects in his distinguished career.

In the virtual event, Samson not only discussed trends and opportunities in his industry but also took himself as a real live example, sharing with students his wisdom on how to carve one’s own path in life against all odds.

Graduated in the same year as the SARS outbreak, Samson Lee has a highly successful career and is currently the Founder & CEO of Coinstreet Partners, an award-winning decentralized investment banking group and consultancy firm.

A Way Out of Crisis

The coronavirus outbreak has affected different industries differently. As the Co-Founder of MyiCellar—a mobile wine discovery and ordering platform—Tomy Wu (Class of 2014) offered an e-commerce start-up perspective on the business changes and strategies to be adopted during the COVID-19 crisis.

Towni Lao, MBA Office

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