Dr. Michele Roberts, MBA Academic Director of the Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM) at University of New South Wales (UNSW), discusses what makes the AGSM MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (3:20) | Admissions (31:00) | Careers (47:30)

About Our Guest

Dr. Michele Roberts is the MBA Academic Director of AGSM at UNSW, looking after all its MBA Programs. Michele teaches MBA courses in Marketing Management and Foundations of Management. Prior to academic life, Michele worked as a Marketing Manager at a Fortune 500 company in London and Melbourne. She holds a Masters’ Degree in Marketing and a PhD in Marketing & Public Policy from the University of Western Australia.

Full write-up on what makes AGSM unique: https://touchmba.com/agsm-mba-program-admissions-interview-michele-roberts 

Get free, personalized school selection help at Touch MBA: https://touchmba.com

Chief Market Officer Kai Stenzel and Admissions Manager Sofia Syed Nasir discuss what makes the Mannheim MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (3:50) | Admissions (25:15) | Financing & Working in Germany (35:40) | Careers (48:30)

About Our Guest

Kai Stenzel is the Chief Market Officer for Mannheim Business School where he has worked for over 6 years. He is responsible for Marketing, Admissions, Career Development, and Alumni Relations. Kai got his MBA from Mannheim Business School and Essec Business School.

Sofia Syed Nasir is the Admissions Manager for Mannheim Full-time MBA, Mannheim Business School. She got her Masters in International Business from Grenoble Ecole de Management.

What is unique about the Mannheim MBA?

• Ranked #1 MBA in Germany by Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek and the Economist
• Ranked #1 in Business Administration by German HR professionals 14 years in a row (Wirtschaftswoche University Ranking)
• Targets and consistently ranks top 10 worldwide for ROI
• 1 year MBA starts in September with ~60 students per intake
• Admissions looking for collaborative mindset, teamwork abilities, and unique point of view that could benefit other classmates 
• 10 core courses taught in terms 1-2; electives, social sustainability project and business master project offered in terms 2-4; students can extend with a term 5 to get a management analytics certificate, study abroad or pursue a business idea or internship
• 80% of graduates stay in Germany to work
• Graduates get a job seeker's visa that lasts 18-months 

Mannheim MBA fast facts, show notes and more at:

https://touchmba.com/mannheim-mba-program-admissions-interview-kai-stenzel-sofia-syed-nasir

MBA Recruitment Manager Alex Jones discusses what makes the Bayes Business School MBA (formerly Cass), City, University of London unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (4:10) | Admissions (19:30) | Financing & Scholarships (33:40) | Careers (37:30)

About Our Guest

Alex Jones is the MBA Recruitment Manager for Bayes Business School (formerly Cass), City, University of London, where he has worked for over 8 years. Alex got his Bachelors in Communication from the University of Leicester and his Masters in Media Production from Birmingham City University.

What is unique about the Bayes Business School MBA?

• 1 year MBA starts in September with ~90 students per intake
• City's campus is in the heart of London’s financial district, which helps with career-related events, meetings and recruiting
• Core curriculum is taught in 4 blocks through the first 6 months of program: 1) strategy & organization 2) the financial environment 3) creating management advantage and 4) knowledge and policy, followed by a week-long international consultancy, electives and business mastery project
• Looking for minimum of 3 years professional experience and experience working multicultural teams with international outlook
• Hosts week-long London Symposium elective that gives a behind-the-scenes look into the economic drivers of London
• Has an MBA Expeditionary Society, which includes MBA and EMBA students, and explores leadership through stretch experiences, delivered by renowned mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington
• MBA alumni can take one free elective each year
• Under revised UK visa system, international students can get 2-year post-study work visa to look for employment in UK
• Ranked #2 globally for corporate strategy by Financial Times (2020)
• Ranked #1 in the UK for Entrepreneurship by Poets & Quants and Inc Magazine's 2021 50 Best MBAs for Entrepreneurship

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/the-business-school-city-university-of-london-mba-program-admissions-interview-alex-jones

Anastasia Georgiou, Director of Admissions at Melbourne Business School, discusses what makes the Melbourne MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (4:38) | Admissions (19:00) | Scholarships (31:20) | Careers (34:00)

About Our Guest

Anastasia Georgiou is Director of Admissions at Melbourne Business School. Anastasia has worked in higher education and admissions for over 20 years.

What is unique about the Melbourne MBA? What are its key advantages?

• Highest ranked Australian MBA by Financial Times, Economist and QS
• Offered Australia’s first MBA program starting in 1963. Melbourne Business School is 55% owned by Australia’s leading companies and 45% by the University of Melbourne
• Melbourne was ranked the world's most livable city for 18 years straight and is the multicultural capital of Australia
• MBA can be completed in 1 or 2 years
• Well-known for marketing and finance, and has recently set up Centres for Business Analytics and Sustainability & Business
• Prides itself in offering a high-touch MBA experience for 40 students/year

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/melbourne-mba-program-admissions-interview-anastasia-georgiou

Job hoppers, this episode is for you! Darren shares three strategies you can use to mitigate your track record of job hopping. How can you present this as an asset to your target MBA programs?

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/mba-positioning-strategies-for-job-hoppers

Gilbert Chua, Deputy Director of Marketing, Recruitment & Admissions at Nanyang Business School, discusses what makes the Nanyang MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (2:30) | Admissions (11:50) | Scholarships (31:45) | Careers (34:20)

About Our Guest

Gilbert Chua is the Deputy Director of Marketing, Recruitment & Admissions at Nanyang Business School. Gilbert previously served as Head of Recruitment & Admissions for Singapore Management University's Postgraduate Programmes, where he also got his EMBA.

What is unique about the Nanyang MBA? What are its key advantages?

• 1-year program includes 9 core courses + 4 electives + 1 leadership module + 1 business study mission + 1 strategy project, with option to add a summer / fall exchange or get Double Masters with Waseda (Japan), St. Gallen (Switzerland) or Essec (France)
• Offers 5 concentrations in Banking & Finance, Strategy & Innovation, General Management, Marketing Management, Human Capital Management, and Strategy Projects
• Admissions looking for academic capacity, those with "T-shaped" leadership potential, ability to contribute in classroom, and cultural adaptability
• The Nanyang MBA was ranked the 35th worldwide by Financial Times (2020) and 73rd worldwide by the Economist (2019), and Nanyang Technological University was ranked 48th Worldwide in the Times Higher Education's World University Rankings (2020)

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/nanyang-mba-program-admissions-interview-gilbert-chua

James Kent, Marketing Manager for the MBA Admissions & Marketing Team at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), discusses what makes the CEIBS MBA unique, the school’s admissions process, career opportunities and more.

Program Highlights (3:00) | Admissions (23:40) | Scholarships & Covid-19 (39:40) | Careers (49:30)

About Our Guest

James Kent is the Marketing Manager for the MBA Admissions & Marketing Team at CEIBS. James got his Bachelors in Chinese and Management from Sheffield University and has worked in recruitment and marketing for 10 years.

What is unique about the CEIBS MBA? What are its key advantages?

• China's top-ranked MBA lasts 18 months and focuses on "China Depth, Global Breadth"
• CEIBS was co-founded in 1994 by the Chinese Government and the European Union, and has campuses in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Accra and Zurich
• CEIBS is looking for proactive candidates with a pioneering spirit
• Mentoring program matches each MBA student with a CEIBS EMBA alumni
• CEIBS 70 faculty members are 1/3 from China, 1/3 from the US and 1/3 from Europe, many of whom consult for MNCs and Chinese Companies in China
• CEIBS has three coordinated degrees options as well: CEIBS-Fletcher (Law & Diplomacy), CEIBS-Cornell (Hospitality), CEIBS-Johns Hopkins (Public Health)
• The CEIBS MBA was ranked the 5th worldwide by Financial Times (2020)

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/ceibs-mba-program-admissions-interview-james-kent

This episode is from my new podcast, ASE, which explores making a living and life as a solopreneur. I bring on artists, social entrepreneurs, and solo founders to explore the self-employed, creative life and how to do your best work.

A number of my salsa friends in their 20s and 30s have found it helpful, so I thought I'd share it with you too. ASE showcases a different, more personal side to me (with some cursing, so be warned!).

And for those of you who are looking for more MBA admissions content, don't worry, I have plenty more MBA episodes coming your way - including more interviews with MBA Admissions Directors - so stay tuned.

Live the Questions

A month ago my salsa friends and I shared our personal challenges over smoothies. Most revolved around feeling more whole and complete with ourselves and our lives. I've thought about that conversation for weeks.

Here is my unsolicited advice to friends in their 20s searching for purpose, work, home and satisfaction. More than anything, this episode is a reminder to myself to love and live the questions - cause they never go away.

Questions

• Satisfaction (6:20)
• Home (9:35)
• Work (13:30)
• Purpose (17:10)

Subscribe to the ASE Podcast

Email / Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher / Google Podcasts / YouTube

Show Notes

• ASE #18: Live the Questions 
• Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging (Sebastian Junger)
• The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake (David Brooks)
• The Labyrinth of Solitude (Octavio Paz)
• Man’s Search for Meaning (Victor E. Frankl)
• Xiu Yang: The Ancient Chinese Art of Self-Cultivation for a Healthier, Happier, More Balanced Life (Mimi Kuo Deemer)

How did Henry Nguyen, who graduated from Kellogg 20 years ago, launch Vietnam’s first technology venture capital fund, Vietnam’s first professional basketball team, and Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC), a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise?

Henry recounts his journey from travel writer to MD to MBA to Wall Street and then back to Vietnam, where he has built a career as an entrepreneur and venture capitalist.

Henry also gives a behind a scenes look into putting together a winning bid for LAFC, building a 22,000 capacity outdoor arena in downtown Los Angeles, and growing a raving fanbase before LAFC’s first game in 2018. Henry shares what he gained from his Kellogg MBA, as well as his advice to young professionals and entrepreneurs considering business school.

"Being an entrepreneur is sometimes just saying 'Why Not?'"

- Henry Nguyen

Questions

• Introducing Henry Nguyen (0:00)
• Henry’s unanticipated MBA and business career (6:30)
• Henry’s heads to Wall Street (11:00)
• The travel writing experience that changed Henry’s life (14:45)
• Henry’s journey back to Vietnam (21:15)
• Starting IDG Ventures Vietnam – “My life is a serendipitous series of fortunate circumstances” (26:30)
• From “funny money” to “startup” – the growth of entrepreneurship in Vietnam (30:30)
• Breaking into venture capital (34:10)
• Henry’s thoughts on the value of a MBA for career changers vs. entrepreneurs, and what he learned from Kellogg (39:30)
• Henry’s foray into the business of sports, and starting amateur and professional sports leagues in Vietnam (49:30)
• Behind the scenes of Henry’s winning bid for LAFC (1:01:27)
• Growing LAFC’s fanbase – “the 3252” – in a city with 11 sports franchises (1:15:10)
• Opportunities for MBAs in sports (1:17:35)
• How Henry manages his businesses and engagements (1:25:20)
• Henry’s last advice to MBA applicants and students (1:29:40)

About Henry

Henry Nguyen is the Chairman of Phoenix Holdings, an investment company with operations in consumer, media, retail, food & beverage, and financial services sectors, and Managing General Partner of IDG Ventures Vietnam. He is the Developmental Licensee of McDonalds Vietnam and Chairman of XLE Group, which develops sports at the professional, collegiate and grass roots level in Vietnam. He is also Founding Owner of Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) and one of the Founding Trustees at Fulbright University Vietnam.

After majoring in classics at Harvard University, Henry earned his MD and MBA from Northwestern University Medical School and the Kellogg School of Management.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/mba-careers-vietnam-venture-capital-sports-lafc-henry-nguyen

Why did a Colombian civil engineer choose to do his MBA in Israel?

Manuel Fajardo shares his journey to the Tel Aviv University’s Sofaer Global MBA, and how the program’s focus on new venture creation has helped him pursue his business idea.

About Manuel

Manuel Fajardo will graduate from the Sofaer Global MBA this Fall. Before getting his MBA, Manuel worked as General Manager of EDS LA PAZ, and as COO and Chief Engineer at Agregados el Rodeo in Colombia. Manuel got his degree in Civil Engineering from Universidad de Los Andes.

Questions

• Introducing Manuel Fajardo (0:00)
• Why Manuel decided to study in Israel (3:38)
• Is Israel safe? (10:18)
• Attending a young MBA program (12:10)
• Tel Aviv University’s ties to the start-up ecosystem (13:55)
• Manuel’s business idea (17:45)
• Sofaer’s entrepreneurial curriculum, competition and opportunities (19:00)
• What Manuel found surprising about studying in Israel (24:05)
• Being in a small MBA class with less than 40 students (27:20)
• Working in Israel post-MBA (30:25)
• Manuel’s post-MBA career plan (31:50)
• Manuel’s biggest takeaways from the MBA (32:45)
• Is it tough to get a job in Israel as a foreigner? (35:20)

Episode summary, show notes and more at: 

https://touchmba.com/sofaer-global-mba-manuel-fajardo

Darren invites Dirk Hopfl from IE Business School to share how Covid-19 has affected its MBA program and IE's plan moving forward. IE, based in Spain, is one of Europe's leading business schools with one of world's most international MBA programs, regularly admitting 90% of its students from 75 countries outside Spain. Its response offers one possibility for how MBAs will evolve to meet student needs during a pandemic.

About Dirk

Dirk Hopfl is Regional Director South East Asia for IE Business School. Dirk got his MBA in 1999 from IE and has over 20 years of leadership experience in international management education.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/how-is-covid-19-impacting-b-schools-dirk-hopfl-shares-ie-business-schools-response/

Tawan (Tina) Suvapatrachai shares her MBA journey from Bangkok to Virginia Darden and then back to Thailand to do strategy for Samsung. Like many international applicants, Tina didn't have the chance to visit her four target US business schools. How did she research schools and find her best fit? Why did she choose Darden and what did she take from her Darden MBA experience?

Questions

• Tina's background (3:40)
• Tina's school research and application tips (5:00)
• How the MBA did not give Tina more career clarity, but rather a powerful career platform (11:30)
• Common problems Tina sees from international MBA applicants (17:00)
• Tina's Darden experience (24:40)
• Blending in as an international student (34:20)
• How to make the most of the MBA experience (36:30)
• The importance of the on-campus experience (39:00)
• Tina's internship and job search (42:05)
• Tina's big takeaways from her Darden experience (48:55)

About Tina

Tawan (Tina) Suvapatrachai works as a Channel Strategy Lead at Samsung in Bangkok, Thailand. Before getting her MBA Tina worked as an Account Manager at Proctor & Gamble. Tina got into Cambridge Judge, UCLA Anderson and NYU Stern, but chose to attend Virginia Darden, where she graduated in 2018. Tina got her B.S in Chemical Engineering from Penn State University

Episode summary, show notes and more at:

https://touchmba.com/inside-the-virginia-darden-mba-tawan-tina-suvapatrachai

As a UX Designer and mother in Kansas City with no MBA network, Graciela Brewer wasn't sure if she "had a sliver of a chance" at her targets: HBS, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern and Cornell Tech. Four months later, she got into all four programs. In this episode, Grace shares how she shortlisted schools, submitted her strongest resume, essays, and recommendations, and stayed sane during a stressful application process.

Questions

• How Covid-19 is affecting Grace's HBS plans (5:24)
• How family and motherhood factored into Grace's school choices (7:57)
• Grace's educational and work background (13:10)
• Grace's post-MBA career goals (16:38)
• How Grace shortlisted schools (18:33)
• Why Grace focused her school research process on student clubs (21:25)
• Grace's most helpful resources: Touch MBA, Poets & Quants, Applicant Lab (24:14)
• Grace's resume tips and extracurriculars (31:50)
• How Grace answered the HBS essay (37:00)
• Grace's HBS interview & post-interview reflection (44:15)
• How Grace handled MIT Sloan's cover letter & 1-minute video (48:54)
• Cornell Tech's case study interview (58:15)
• How Grace selected and prepare her recommenders (1:01:15)
• Grace's tips for dealing with a stressful application process (1:05:09)
• Grace's UX suggestions for MBA applications (1:17:55)

About Graciela (Grace)

Grace Brewer works as a Senior UX Designer at Netsmart, which designs and delivers electronic health records. Grace got into Harvard Business School, MIT Sloan, NYU Stern, and Cornell Tech, and will pursue her MBA at HBS. Grace got her B.S in Information Science from Missouri University of Science & Technology.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/how-i-got-into-harvard-business-school-graciela-brewer/

Dr. Gleb Tsipursky has dedicated his professional life to helping others overcome cognitive biases and make better decisions. In this episode, Darren and Dr. Gleb discuss ways MBA applicants can make better decisions when it comes to business school and their careers.

Questions

• Why Dr. Gleb has dedicated two decades of his life to overcoming cognitive biases with decision making (3:00)
• Autopilot vs. Intentional decision making (7:45)
• When our gut serves us in career decisions (14:30)
• Best practices for overcoming our cognitive biases (20:48)
• Common biases when making career decisions (27:17)
• How important are rankings? (33:33)
• Five questions to avoid decision disasters (37:07)
• Navigating emotions and decision making (43:48)

About Our Guest

Dr. Gleb Tsipursky is on a mission to protect leaders from dangerous judgment errors known as cognitive biases by developing the most effective decision making strategies. He has over two decades of consulting, coaching, and training experience as CEO of Disaster Avoidance Experts, and over 15 years of experience in academia as a cognitive neuroscientist and behavioral economist. Dr. Tsipursky has been featured in Inc. Magazine, Time, Scientific American, Fast Company, and Psychology Today. His new book is called Never Go with Your Gut: How How Pioneering Leaders Make the Best Decisions and Avoid Business Disasters.

Dr. Gleb earned his PhD in the History of Behavioral Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2011.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: https://touchmba.com/dont-trust-your-gut-career-decisions-dr-gleb-tsipursky/‎

Do you have to quit your job to get your MBA? Darren invites Chris Healy from Alliance Manchester Business school to share how the part-time / professional MBA has evolved with new technology and student and employer demands. If you're unsure about getting an online, blended, part-time or Executive MBA, you'll get key insights from this episode.

Questions

• How the part-time / professional MBA has evolved over the past 15 years (2:30)
• How employers view part-time / professional MBAs (15:50)
• Networking at b-school as a part-time / professional MBA (21:35)
• The quality of online courses (27:20)
• How do business schools with multiple campuses maintain quality of faculty? (33:25)
• The advantages of dual-MBAs (37:00)
• Grades, format, and commitment required of a typical Manchester MBA part-time course held over 6 months (40:35)
• The future of part-time / professional MBAs (47:20)

About Our Guest

Chris Healy is Head of MBA Marketing & Recruitment for Alliance Manchester Business School at the University of Manchester. Chris has been in the business education industry for nearly 15 years and got his Bachelors in Consumer Marketing from Manchester Metropolitan University.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/the-evolving-professional-mba-chris-healy

Inspired by the Harvard Business Review article Experience Doesn’t Predict a New Hire’s Success, Darren shares how you can demonstrate you're a great fit for your target MBA programs - or your next employer - even if you're short on experience. If you feel like you lack relevant work experience for the MBA, this episode is for you.

Show Notes

• Experience Doesn’t Predict a New Hire’s Success (Harvard Business Review)

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/experience-does-not-equal-performance/

Sachin Tipnis, Senior Executive Director of HKU's MBA, EMBA & 6 specialized Masters programs discusses the Hong Kong protests, curriculum changes, admissions, and picking the right Masters program for your career goals.

• The Hong Kong Protests - How Has this Affected Students? (2:45)
• Curriculum, Admissions and Career Services Updates with the HKU MBA (17:30)
• Full-time MBA vs. Specialized Masters vs. EMBA - Which Should You Choose (45:15)

HKU MBA Highlights (last updated Jan 2020)

• 12-months, Fall intake, 55-60 students/year
• Typical Class: 5-6 years work exp / ~15 nationalities / 640 GMAT
• Has 3 tracks: the London track, the New York track, and the Hong Kong/China track. After finishing 9 months of core courses at HKU, students can study at Columbia University in New York, London Business School in London, or Fudan University in Shanghai for one semester
• HKU has 2 rounds of interviews. The first is similar to a job interview; those that pass the first round may be required to give a presentation in the second round
• Graduates get a 1-year visa to stay in Hong Kong and find a job post-graduation
• Placement, Class of 2018: 83% w/job offers w/in 3 months, $82,551 USD avg post MBA salary (Economist MBA Ranking 2019)
• Top Destinations, Class of 2017 & 2018: 47% Hong Kong / 21% Other Regions of Asia / 13% Mainland China / 9% Americas / 7% India / 3% Europe
• Top Industries, Class of 2018: 36% Financial Services, Insurance / 12% Consumer Goods, Retail / 6% IT, Telecommunications
• Top Functions, Class of 2017 & 2018: 29% Finance, Audit, Accounting / 27% Consulting, Strategy / 21% Marketing, Branding, Business Development / 10% General Management
• Ranked #1 Asian Business School by Economist for 9 straight years

About Our Guest

Sachin Tipnis is the Senior Executive Director of MBA, EMBA Global Asia (joint Executive MBA Degree with Columbia and London Business School), and six specialized Master Programmes at the University of Hong Kong. Sachin was part of HKU's first graduating MBA class and has worked for over a decade developing the HKU MBA. Sachin worked in branding and marketing communications for 7 years before working in higher education.

Episode summary, show notes and more at: http://touchmba.com/hku-mba-whats-up-in-2020