Wharton injected a fresh sense of urgency for me to make a difference for my company, myself, and my community at large. Really, the opportunity and choices opened up because it gave me the courage and desire to drive change. I returned to Asia a year after graduating – my desire was to make a difference in Asia, my homeland, after spending close to a decade in Europe and the U.S. I was appointed CFO of Amex’s consumer cards business in South Asia in early 2007. Then in 2008, I joined DBS Bank, South Asia’s largest bank, as senior vice president and head of Finance, Institutional Banking Group, as well as heading Group Planning and Analytics. The Wharton MBA has expanded my perspective of businesses; it has deepened my understanding and analytical insights as well as shaped my leadership style. This has allowed me to be a stronger and better manager.

My path to Wharton led from Singapore through London to New York. I was Asia head of Business Planning for Mars, an FMCG business based in Singapore. Then, from 1998 to 2002, I was based in London serving as CFO of the International Consumer bank and Insurance business of American Express. Then, I was leading the Strategic Long Range Planning team covering the international businesses for American Express based in New York. This role sought to connect business strategy with business investments and long-range financial targets. Having been based in New York for two years, I had the desire to deepen my roots, learn more about the country, culture, and relationships by connecting with like-minded people based in the U.S. I have a strong interest in connecting concepts with real life and enjoy putting them into practice. A scholarship opportunity from American Express came up and the timing felt right to go back to school to learn. … It was a whirlwind!

Professors who bring theoretical concepts to life
In every class, Wharton professors bring theoretical concepts to life. I found Management of People at Work a great course for working professionals, as it helps set up a conceptual framework on how to think about management issues one faces at work and how one can apply them in real time back at the office. I also applied key concepts of strategy implementation and tactics of corporate entrepreneurship in my day-to-day role, where I led a team in developing the financial long-range plans and strategy process for my company. These ideas were well accepted by the organization and have been incorporated in its blueprint to drive growth.

Being an effective leader
To me, an effective leader is one who creates the vision, sets clear goals for the team, and inspires the individuals to achieve beyond what they would ordinarily have done in meeting those objectives. The Wharton experience pushed me to grow as a leader. The constant need to balance the demands of school, work, and family with limited time was a key challenge. I became much better at managing my time by focusing and dealing with key issues, delegating and empowering my co-workers where necessary.

A life-changing experience
The Wharton MBA was a life-changing experience for me. The structured set of class work focusing on core and specialized subject matter helped me develop a set of management tools and frameworks that I apply regularly at work to help me think through issues more crisply and clearly. Beyond subject matter expertise, the Wharton MBA experience emphasizes leadership qualities that are drilled into you both directly and indirectly. Although I still have lots of room to improve further, I feel that I am a better communicator, thinker, negotiator, and leader than I was prior to Wharton.