Meet Our Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarship Winners Brian Cheng

What made you decide to pursue an Executive MBA?

Unemployment in Hong Kong is a complex problem. I have always had a passion for youth employment issues, and my current employer, Generation Hong Kong, is on a mission to transform the education-to-employment system to prepare, place, and support people in life-changing careers that would otherwise be inaccessible.

In the five years I’ve been with the organization, we’ve expanded from a team of three to a team of 40. I started to think about how I could contribute more to the organization to influence a broader ecosystem change. I thought a Booth MBA would give me a more structured approach in thinking about leadership, organizational strategy, and organizational change and help me create a replicable, scalable methodology for other local nonprofits.

What factors played into your decision to attend Booth?

I spoke to previous recipients of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarship, and they said the program broadened their horizons in terms of leadership, strategy, and organizational structure, as well as learnings from their classmates. And I have found that to be 100 percent true. I am learning a lot not only inside the classroom, but also through organic interactions outside the classroom.

What has been a significant or memorable experience that you have had during your first quarters at Booth?

Every single thing that happened during the first six months was memorable, but what really stands out is my classmates. They’re all leaders in their own spaces and they have so much to share about their work and about their approach to solving different issues. But they’re also very serious about connecting outside the classroom and getting to know one another as friends. Also, every single faculty member is amazing. You can feel their passion for teaching, and they have a lot of valuable experience to contribute.

How did it feel to receive the scholarship? What did that mean to you?

I am very happy to be recognized for my contributions to the community and my potential to do more in the sector in the coming years. I look forward to continuing to support the growth of the sector through what I have learned from the program.

Do you have any advice for somebody who’s considering the program?

When I speak to people who are considering applying for the program, I advise them to think about what they are looking to achieve in the program and what they want to contribute. What are the key areas where they want further enhancement? The Booth program has a lot to offer, but you have to be specific about the areas where you want to improve.

And the second thing is, be prepared. It’s a very rigorous program—lots of data, statistics, and mathematics—but it gives you another way to approach problems. It gives you the fundamentals, and that in turn provides a structure and framework to help you solve the problems you face on a daily basis.