Ilya Syafeeqa bt Hanaffee

It still feels like yesterday, I received my MBA offer letter just a few months earlier, and only realized it a day before orientation. I didn’t overthink it, I simply said, ‘Let’s go for it.’ That one decision changed everything.

Going back to student life after years of working wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. I learned so much, on paper, through projects, and even more about myself. Fast forward, after completing my MBA at UM, I’ve been promoted as Manager of Global Strategy and Planning and got transferred to Tokyo, Japan to lead a team there. Honestly? Being the only foreign leader and the only Malaysian in the company is not easy. But just like how I pushed through classes, assignments, and late-night research during the MBA, I’m pushing myself here too; to be the best version of myself, one my future self will thank me for. I’m especially grateful I took the MBA, as it taught me the true essence of leadership and prepared me for challenges like these.

As someone passionate about strategy and planning for a company, every subject I took mattered. Global Supply Chain, Statistics, Economics, Marketing until Corporate Strategy, they weren’t just standalone topics, but puzzle pieces that gave me a bigger picture of how businesses really work. It’s not just about building a brand. It’s about understanding how culture, economics, and the value chain all connect and shape the business world.

But beyond the textbooks, what really made the MBA special was the people. I got to meet some of the most inspiring leaders from different industries. We exchanged ideas, worries, and dreams, and those conversations turned into friendships I’ll always be grateful for. I even worked in a team we jokingly called the “ABC group,” made up of friends from different races, Korean, Indonesian, Thai, Malay, and Indian. We had fun, but more than that, I learned how perspectives shaped by different cultures can spark new ways of thinking. A special shoutout as well to my research supervisor, Dr. Azmin Azliza Aziz, who was always supportive and considerate, especially when final year got tough.

Hence, I would say, doing an MBA while working full time wasn’t always sunshine and rainbows, it was tough. But it was absolutely worth it. For me, success isn’t just about securing a better job title. It’s about growth: discovering skills I didn’t know I had, pushing myself to new limits, and finding clarity in my “why.