[Korea Economic Daily] SKK GSB, an opportunity to gain new perspectives, growth and network
- SKKGSB
- Hit8653
- 2022-10-21
SKK GSB Professional MBA alumnus Mr. Insub Yeo, who is specialized in the healthcare industry for over 15 years, shared his experiences at SKK GSB. He highlighted gaining new perspectives, growth, and network.
Read the full interview below:
Q1. First of all, please introduce yourself briefly.
Hello, I am Insub Yeo, a student in the 11th cohort of SKK GSB's Professional MBA. I currently work at Medtronic Korea, a global healthcare company, leading the Market Development and Marketing Team. Our main tasks are discovering niche markets and creating new business plans and strategies for sustainable growth. Being in charge of a team that does a job that can be a catalyst for the company's long-term change is a huge responsibility, but it's also rewarding at the same time.
Q2. What made you decide to study for an MBA?
The biggest reason was that I wanted to become a business expert with expertise that was difficult to harness through experience alone. During my 15-year career in the healthcare industry, I have been recognized for outstanding work, and have received numerous in-house awards. I am proud that I have accumulated insight and expertise in the market on my own through various practical experiences in sales and marketing. Nevertheless, I felt there was a limit to experience alone. I wanted to make new solutions by understanding my experiences more clearly and acquiring professional management knowledge.
Another reason was that my goal was to prepare a career as a global leader. I had planned to work at the Asia Pacific headquarters, and to take the MBA course to become more competitive in the global environment. Although it has changed a bit due to various circumstances, such as the pandemic, I am still preparing to become a global leader who can lead a team anywhere in the world. I therefore chose SKK GSB because I could study an MBA in a global environment.
Q3. Has what you are learning on the MBA helped you in practice? Please share your experience.
The SKK GSB Professional MBA program consists of three major areas that must be well understood at the executive level: finance, management, and marketing. I led the marketing team, and focused on management and marketing courses. Because the teaching method is mainly through case studies, I found business applications naturally.
The most memorable class was the Human Resources Management course in Gangneung. This class took the form of a three-day residency. This was my first face-to-face class, as I'd enrolled during the height of the pandemic, and it was also fun to hang out with the professor and classmates. Over a few days, I gained a lot of realization by examining human resources and operating cases of other world-class companies from the perspective of human resources and management, away from the sales and marketing perspective I was familiar with. At the leadership level, there is a tendency to focus instead on performance. I felt that the alignment process that puts organizational goals and personal growth on the same line, that is, the alignment of dreams, is essential. After my residency, I applied alignment with my team, strengthening our teamwork.
Q4. What is the most difficult part of doing an MBA?
Setting priorities and keeping them seemed the most difficult—to catch all three rabbits from work, family, and the MBA. When I started my MBA, the company's large-scale organizational change made me take on a broader team of business areas. My precious child was also born, and I didn't have much time to spare. Since the MBA program involves high-intensity study, there were indeed times when I felt overwhelmed. However, while studying on the program, I was satisfied that I was developing together in terms of work and abilities. In particular, it was an opportunity for me to find new stimulation, growth and motivation, thanks to my MBA friends who demonstrated powerful teamwork all along.
Q5. What advice would you give to students beginning at SKK GSB or to those who are considering applying?
If you dream of becoming an expert in your field, or want to become a world leader, I highly recommend considering SKK GSB. The school has ranked first in Korea in the Financial Times (FT) MBA rankings for 11 consecutive years, and has a globally recognized curriculum. Not only that, but you will be able to develop further through the network of alumni who have motives brought from various backgrounds.
Related article: Korea Economic Daily on October 13