Invest in Yourself, a person's most important asset.
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| Invest in Yourself | |||||
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| “When I started the Executive MBA program, Asia was emerging from an economic crisis,” says Gopul Shah, AXP-3. “I had skills, knowledge, and experience but I was not at a branded corporation, and I knew that if I wanted further education, I was going to have to fund it myself.” Fortunately, Shah says, he had the support of his wife and young family. “In difficult economic times, all asset valuations look cheap and attractive, and there are many things you can buy - a house, bonds, and so on. But my wife and I decided we would invest in ourselves because the intangibles would last longer than some other asset.” Shah started the Executive MBA in 2002 in Singapore, and six months into the program, he happened to meet a headhunter for one of the largest, privately held multinational corporations in the world. “We had a chat, and a relationship began,” he says. Shortly after graduating, he was placed with the firm’s proprietary financial services group. Prior to joining the firm, Shah had been on the buy side of corporate finance, but went to the firm’s proprietary structured funding, emerging markets trading, and risk management group. He is now head of Asia structuring and Southeast Asia origination and reports that things are shaping up well - though there’s still a lot to be done. “It was a nice transition from one company to another in Singapore,” he says. A transformation of the self He credits the GSB for having a profound impact on his life. “Once you go through a program like this, you become a different person. It’s hard to put a finger on it, and it’s not an isolated moment. It’s a kind of personal and professional transformation in the way you look at the world.” Shah says that most of all, the program created a confidence in him and prepared him for a leadership role. He feels part of a network of professionals with an excellent skill set and reputation. “The University attracts an accomplished group of people who are working at very senior levels. The diversity and depth of their backgrounds was enriching. And what I gained through their experiences has been very inspiring.” Shah also valued the campus life - the group work, socializing, and sharing of experiences. “I miss that life and my buddies,” he says. “It was time well spent.” Shah also points out that the lessons and skills learned in the Executive MBA program are not a watered-down version, but just as rigorous and comprehensive as a full-time program - and the lessons and values become part of your internal system. “You don’t notice it; you’re doing it intuitively. But if you didn’t have the training from the program, you might not find it easy to be able to take on new challenges. It’s an opportunity not to be missed.”  Source: http://www.chicagobooth.edu/email/xp/success/spring2008/#Shah  | |||||
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