Graduate Studies Blog
NANYANG EXECUTIVE MBA
Propelling business leaders’ vision of sustainability with the Nanyang EMBA
The sustainability imperative
Material and energy consumption in the Asia-Pacific region is rapidly on the rise, with the region accounting for over 50% of world consumption. By 2025, it is expected to generate about 2.5 million tonnes of waste daily. Sustainability is no longer just a corporate buzzword but a business imperative.
“The statistics were quite mind-boggling and I wanted to do something to help address it,” says Derrick Hsiang, Chief Strategy Officer at MINIWIZ and a Nanyang Executive MBA (EMBA) participant at Nanyang Business School, part of Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore).
Sustainability-minded professionals like Derrick have found a welcoming environment at NTU. The university incorporates sustainability as a critical value in core modules throughout the EMBA programme; participants learn how to set sustainable goals and measure outcomes as part of their essential leadership training.
This kind of commitment led Derrick to decline offers from other universities worldwide in favour of NTU. His EMBA credentials have been essential to his present career trajectory – NTU’s training and connections are helping Derrick pursue his calling in support of the global transition from a linear to a circular economy.
“I think corporations are also catching on to sustainability. They now have climate-friendly products or categories, and consumers filter based on some of them. Everybody has to play a role for this to snowball.”
Derrick Hsiang, Nanyang EMBA Class of 2023
Chief Strategy Officer, MINIWIZ
From venture capital to a career in sustainability
Through his work with MINIWIZ, Derrick is repurposing waste and diverting rubbish from landfills. The company has been in the spotlight often for its innovative solutions, including COVID-19-ready modular hospital wards made of refuse, and an AI-powered machine that turns waste into durable products and building materials in only three minutes.
In his last job as vice president of venture capital (VC) firm WI Harper Group, Derrick led the Series A funding round for MINIWIZ; he was intrigued by the company’s business model. “It’s quite challenging to find sustainable and profitable companies simultaneously,” says Derrick.
This led him to join MINIWIZ full-time, where he now drives strategy, manages investors, and supports marketing efforts.
The higher cost of recycled materials compared to virgin materials is a major sticking point in the sustainability sector; MINIWIZ needs to drive the cost down to a competitive enough level to encourage customers to choose sustainable options first. “If we have volume and scale, then we can solve the cost issue,” Derrick explains.
Bridging profitability and sustainability
To achieve the needed volume and scale, MINIWIZ turned its focus to the real estate market, where contracts are bigger and longer-term. But during the pandemic, the company saw revenue dip. Movement restrictions meant that they could only do business locally.
In response, the company pivoted to modular hospital wards to generate revenue and contribute to the fight against COVID-19.
Today, the business has three main offerings, making the company a viable end-to-end provider of sustainable solutions: consulting and design services, building materials, and a machine that turns plastic into useful products.
Pushing the agenda further
The call for global sustainability has been helped by a growing social movement, with people becoming more aware of the importance of making sustainable buying decisions.
“I think corporations are also catching on to that,” Derrick observes. “They now have climate-friendly products or categories, and consumers filter based on some of them.”
Derrick believes education can strengthen their sustainability push further: “Everybody has to play a role for this to snowball,” he says; to increase levels of awareness and ownership, people must be educated about the importance of the issue and what they can do to contribute.
Leading the charge towards a more sustainable world
The same advice applies to senior leaders working to advance sustainability. Continuous learning is key, and because sustainability is so broad, executives must also identify their areas of expertise and interest to understand their potential impact better.
Senior leaders should also harness the power of offline and online networking through platforms such as LinkedIn — to find sustainability-oriented connections and opportunities. “This is essentially how I got all of my roles,” shares Derrick.
With MINIWIZ hoping to expand into Southeast Asia shortly, it makes sense for Derrick to grow his network in the region now. He’s counting on his Nanyang EMBA background to open many doors: “I was looking at some of the potential customers that we need to get in touch with, and there are a lot of NTU alumni,” he explains. “So I feel like there’s this warm kind of connection.”
Levelling up to lead better
From the start, Derrick knew NTU aligned with his sustainability-oriented career goals. NTU’s admissions team spoke a language that mirrored professionals in the sustainability space, confirming its authentic commitment in Derrick’s eyes.
Communications with the admissions team also felt warmer and more personal than interactions with other universities. “More and more people are getting advanced degrees, and NTU has a strong brand name in Asia,” he says.
NTU EMBA courses on cultural intelligence and talent management helped Derrick shape his hiring and talent retention strategy into one that is more diverse and inclusive. The classes also helped cultivate soft skills: “By asking the right questions and framing certain things a certain way has been invaluable.”
To find out how the Nanyang EMBA programme can help equip you with the necessary tools to lead with excellence and purpose towards a more sustainable future, visit our website or contact us at execmba@ntu.edu.sg to schedule a 1-to-1 discussion.
