NANYANG EXECUTIVE MBA

Becoming a Global Leader in the New Economy With the Nanyang EMBA

After seven years in management within the Fintech industry, Amber Patil was ready to move up to a more prominent leadership role. To determine his next career move, he did a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis – with himself as the subject.

“I realised I was good in technology but did not understand the business side as well as I should,” says Amber. “I thought, what should I do to equip myself with these skills? I realised I should go for an Executive MBA.”

After considering several Singapore-based B-schools, Amber chose the Nanyang Executive MBA (EMBA) programme offered by Nanyang Business School, a part of Nanyang Technological University: “I was attracted to Nanyang’s academic rigour, compared to its peer universities with the same ranking levels,” he explains.

The Nanyang EMBA gave Amber a deeper understanding of business leadership in Asia and the prowess to craft compelling business strategies toward digital transformation: attributes he’s putting to good use as Head of Digital Apps and Enterprise DevOps at SGX today.

Learning with exceptional thinkers from different industries

The Nanyang EMBA is designed for senior business leaders like Amber who want to keep pace with the constantly changing business world – and are willing to commit to the EMBA’s exacting curriculum.

There’s a considerable learning curve at the beginning. During the first segment, EMBA participants must realign themselves to a new environment and a new way of life. “You don’t get your weekends anymore to relax and rejuvenate; and you start getting assignments, which you’ve never done for 20 years!”

However, acclimatising to the programme’s demands was easier than Amber imagined, especially given the exceptional EMBA cohort he joined.

Nanyang EMBA’s selective admissions process yielded a class of high-powered performers: leaders in sales, HR, finance, management, and others. The EMBA teamed Amber up with the best and brightest to tackle some of the business world’s biggest problems, and he benefited from the resulting cross-pollination of ideas.

“The answer is in the room”: bonding over SPAN

EMBA students were often reminded by their professors, “the answer is in the room.” This was a reminder that EMBA students could elicit answers from each other, drawing from their collective experiences in practical class discussions.

Amber cites his experience with the Strategy Projects at Nanyang (SPAN), which puts groups of EMBA students at work on a real-life consulting project for a sponsor company.

“We had classmates who had experience in both the fashion industry and technology. We had a CFO who could create financial models for us,” Amber recalls. “The experience broadened my perspective, and helped me develop a new kind of thinking which absorbs these perspectives and helps me make more well-rounded decisions, rather than just relying on linear thinking.”

An education that responds to the business needs of today

The EMBA’s collaborative and experiential learning method helped Amber reassess contemporary industry issues with deeper, experience-based insight.

For starters, the course examined environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues: an urgent concern for today’s business leaders, as 80% of CEOs in Singapore say they’re seeing an increased demand for ESG reporting and transparency.

Amber is better-prepared to deal with this demand, given the EMBA’s emphasis on ESG concerns. “A better understanding of ESG helps me make technology decisions that create a meaningful impact,” Amber explains. Many investors want to invest in companies with good ESG rankings, so we create technology solutions for those investors.”

Seeing the workings behind China’s incredible rise

Nanyang EMBA students also undergo the UC Berkeley (US) and Tsinghua (China) segments, giving them deeper insight into the world’s economic giants. Amber’s experience with the Tsinghua segment gave him a better understanding of China’s economic objectives, as well as the worldview that defines it.

Previously, he had minimal exposure to the business strategies shaping Asia, including China; the interactive discussions with professors and selected speakers quickly brought him up to speed.

“We all know how fast China is progressing,” Amber recalls. “We see the GDP figures, but China’s effort in technology – especially in artificial intelligence – is momentous yet not visible from the outside.

“The Tsinghua segment was a great value add, and it brought me a great understanding of doing business in China,” he says.

Growing into a well-rounded professional

The EMBA programme’s academic rigour, quality of professors, and high-calibre cohort support helped Amber develop from a tech-focused professional into a more well-rounded leader.

“My understanding of areas has grown compared to before, when I was more of a technology person,” Amber shares.

“Human beings ultimately execute technology. Now I understand problems beyond just technology but also people-related issues. There are also market forces and other business dynamics that all impact.”

Post-EMBA, Amber feels his education has accelerated his career. “I think, process, and give solutions faster – now, I’m part of the IT leadership team at SGX,” Amber explains. “I joined SGX’s strategy planning for 2030 focusing on AI and machine learning technologies, creating a vision for organisations in 2030.”

While the external validation helps, Amber feels his swiftly-advancing career is all the reward he ever needed: “The Nanyang EMBA is not a journey to prove to someone else that you have done this. it’s a journey for yourself, and you must prove it to yourself.”

To thrive in the digital economy, leaders must understand how innovation can be harnessed to build a more agile digital enterprise. Designed for seasoned business leaders, the part-time Nanyang EMBA helps you:

• Deepen your understanding of business and its intersection with technology and innovation
• Gain global perspectives with immersions at UC Berkeley, USA and Tsinghua University, China
• Benefit from the rich experience of one of the most senior EMBA class profiles in the region

NTU is committed to recognises the contribution of leaders in driving transformation for healthcare. Applicants from the healthcare, medical and pharmaceutical sectors can apply for the Nanyang EMBA Healthcare Leader Scholarship today. Visit our website at https://bit.ly/NanyangEMBAweb  or download the Nanyang EMBA programme brochure to learn more.