There’s always room to upskill

SMU’s EMBA draws high-flyer Leonora Lim who wants to learn new ways of doing business

Nur Syahiidah Zainal
Jan 10, 2019

For Ms Leonora Lim, 44, getting a promotion at work is not an indication of having “made it”; rather, it signalled a need for her to continue picking up new skills.

Even with more than two decades of experience, she still finds it essential to go back to school to refresh her knowledge and get updated on new ways of doing business.

For example, the logistics world is changing rapidly due to the evolution of technology, with various disruptions and new modes of trade and operations such as digitalisation, market platforms and sharing economies.

To that end, the vice-president for life sciences and healthcare in Asia Pacific at DHL Customer Solutions & Innovation is taking on the Executive MBA (EMBA) programme offered by Singapore Management University (SMU).

She chose the SMU EMBA because of the opportunity to study at three other world-class universities, including the Indian School of Business, Peking University, and The Wharton School, as part of her programme.

Relevant to work
The course on Human Capital Management at Wharton particularly stood out as it coincided with organisational restructuring that her company was undergoing.

Ms Lim says: “The timing of both the course and the announcement made the topics on managing human capital in the company, such as motivation and talent management, exceptionally relevant to me.”

The friendly and relaxed atmosphere of the information session was also a huge draw for her.

She says: “I vividly remember the camaraderie displayed by members of the previous batch when sharing their learning experience.

“Since the class is going to spend a good amount of time together, what better than to have a friendly and collaborative environment? So far, my classmates in SMU have been awesome.”

Diverse viewpoints
Ms Lim also appreciates having a diverse mix of student profiles in her classroom, as it is “a miniature reflection of the world out there, where we often work with people from different nationalities, backgrounds and culture,” she says.

“Besides getting to know more people, you learn to be even more open and adaptive in interacting with people as you get to hear different approaches to business issues.”

She also enjoys interacting with the friendly and accessible lecturers as they challenge the students’ thinking, share real-life examples and create opportunities for them to exchange different viewpoints.

“The lecturers have been top notch in how they teach and engage us in classes, which are very interactive and intellectually stimulating,” she adds.

The school’s learning resources and facilities, such as the comfortable, theatre-styled classrooms and the library, also creates a conducive environment for learning.

She explains: “The library has meeting rooms with screen projection, which makes it very conducive for us to hold group meetings there. The school even provides parking passes when we attend the segments.”