THE full-time MBA program at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) in Hong Kong is reputed for its well-structured curriculum, international exposure and personalized career service to its students.
Peter Crawley, a South African with international banking experience, showcased how he strategically leveraged on the strengths of the program to get the most out of his MBA study - landing his dream result.
As a banking specialist with successful stints in Britain and South Africa behind him, Crawley was determined to squeeze as much as possible from his postgraduate studies when he signed up for an MBA at HKUST.
He crunched his course time by four months, added extra finance electives, threw himself into case competitions and landed a top job after using a careers function organized by the university to best advantage.
"I didn't want to just do a general MBA in another country. I needed to make sure I was focused on my objective of broadening my skill set," he said.
Crawley was not only drawn by HKUST's reputation for top-notch financial teaching. Its position on the edge of China and its ranking as the best business school in Asia were also key attractions for a man wanting exposure to a new geographical area.
It wasn't an easy move on a personal level for Crawley, who also considered top schools in Britain. He was then Citibank's cash management head in Johannesburg after returning to South Africa from London, where he spent five years as an executive with Citibank and Bank of America.
"I decided this would be great for a gap year and that I should finish it within 12 months," said Crawley, who was 33 at the time. "The program is structured so you can do that, but you have to be disciplined and motivated. The course work was really good and I focused hard on what I could get out of it."
He completed his MBA in 12 months, instead of 16, and took nine electives instead of the six needed for a finance concentration
"This is a chief executive of a bank employing 5,000 people. You have to stand out," said Crawley.
He researched his subject well and a careful question posed in front of some 200 attendants about the bank's position on emerging markets led Sullivan to put him in touch with the right people to talk about an opening. Crawley is now the director of Standard Chartered, and a head of product management, transaction banking and Hong Kong wholesale banking.
During his busy study year, Crawley found time to take part in both international case competition and business plan competition in the United States. He's glad he did.
"It was really beneficial to focus on more than just the academic side. For me these were enriching experiences," he said.
