June 23, 2020. Shanghai – The CEIBS Career Development Centre continued to deliver a series of sharing sessions in June. Following events in April and May which featured October CEO Thorsten Seegers (MBA 2007) and Navozyme founder Jitesh Jaipuriyars (MBA 2010), June’s guest speakers included an industry business leader, a recent MBA2020 graduate, and a CEIBS GEMBA alumnus.

On June 8, Vikrant Bhansali, Chairman of Reflect Partnership, brought his unique insights to the series. Vikrant is based in Dubai and has over 20 years of experience in the banking sector. In the past, he worked for DIFC Authority (Government of Dubai), as a Chief Representative to drive business development activities across DIFC’s key international markets. Prior to that, Vikrant was Regional Head of Institutional Sales at Standard Chartered Bank.

Referencing his extensive working experience, Vikrant analysed economic and employment dislocations from the perspective of the Middle Eastern market, and shared with the audience the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the region. He pointed out that energy, real estate, tourism and other industries that have proven to be strong in the past are, at the moment, facing big challenges. He also discussed some future trends in the Middle East market that would benefit MBA students and alumni, particularly those who are interested in developing their careers there.

On June 9, Rishabh Ralhan (MBA2020) also brought his ideas into the sharing session. A recent CEIBS graduate, Rishabh previously worked as a consultant and product manager for Deloitte, AIG and an early stage start-up. During his MBA at CEIBS, he interned as a management consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Shanghai. Rishabh recently accepted the position of program manager at Amazon Private Brands, where he will work between their Shenzhen and Seattle offices.

During the session, Rishabh shared his experience and lessons learnt from his MBA journey. He encouraged students to take a proactive approach and not be discouraged by failures in the job application or interview process. Although the challenges are big, opportunities always exist, he said. For him, he added, the key was to keep working hard to explore opportunities and to give it his best as opportunities came up.

In addition to his advice and suggestions on career-related topics, Rishabh emphasised an important point for current MBA students. “Enjoy your unique MBA journey – it will be over sooner than you know it!” he said.

On June 23, Bruno Requena Fernandez, a project team manager for Veolia Industrial Development Korea, headlined the final sharing session of June. Originally from Europe and now working in Asia, he shared with the audience his perspective on how to maintain a global mind-set through career development planning, referencing his own unique career experiences.

Bruno combined his passion for media and entertainment and managerial experiences at multinational organisations with a career in sustainability. In addition to his role at Veolia Environment, he is also the Managing Partner and CEO of MIXX Inc., a South Korean boutique consulting firm.

Bruno started his career in Europe and accumulated 10 years in China before moving to South Korea with Veolia, the largest private operator in sustainability worldwide with an annual revenue of €27 billion and presence on five continents.

Bruno said he believes that CEIBS has offered him an arena to challenge his biases and has helped him stay intellectually active. He added that, not only did he grow, but he also learnt how to integrate Eastern and Western interests through his experience at CEIBS.

In terms of career development, Bruno suggested that everyone take three things into consideration – namely, location, industry and function – then decide which is the most important in the short, medium and long term. In addition, he said, learning to compromise on your professional passion to consider a “trendy” area or industry for its high growth potential could prove worthwhile.

During the career planning process, Bruno suggested students complement their passion and be prepared to be an insider in at least two different industries. To achieve that, he said, students should try to find the most appropriate people such as mentors, professors, colleagues or business partners who could help them navigate across career changes.

As a European from Spain with a lot of experience in Asia, Bruno has a deep understanding of globalisation and localisation. He wrapped up with a piece of personal advice: “Never take things for granted. Try to take joy in discovering unfamiliar things, and stay positive while managing fears, knowing that both good and bad things are always going to happen.”