Kazuya Komon
MBA ’11
Associate Manager
ISI-Dentsu, Ltd.

Kazuya wants to leverage his MBA to move from the technology side of his company into a broader business role. “I have developed my career strategically from an engineer to a manager,” says Kazuya. “I am excited to apply what I’ve learned to help my company grow, and to push IT and business strategies effectively.” He also believes the business acumen he gained at Ross will give him the confidence to be a better leader. “I learned a lot about how to establish new business and convey my arguments to a variety of stakeholders in the international arena from the perspectives of knowledge, logic, and interpersonal communication. For someone who is expected to advance in their company, those skills are priceless,” Kazuya says. The team-based environment at Ross taught Kazuya that leadership can take many forms. “Working with Global MBA students and students in the Full-time Program was interesting because of the different levels of experience. We learned from each other and learned to play different roles on the team, which is valuable for all future leaders.”

Kyuseo Lee
MBA ’11
Purchasing Manager
Hynix Semiconductor Inc.

To fully understand his role as a purchasing professional, Kyuseo knew he needed a more holistic knowledge of his firm’s operations and strategy. The Ross Global MBA Program provided the perfect venue to accomplish his goals. “I knew Ross was very strong in operations management as well as strategy, and that it would give me a strong applicable correlation between the two with a broad international perspective,” says Kyuseo. “It was the exact synergy I needed.” Kyuseo also appreciated the synergy in the courses he took at Ross. “The faculty are very research-oriented and provide a lot of practical examples. I found myself using knowledge from one class when I took a different class, so all the material I learned built on itself,” he says. Kyuseo also appreciated how the faculty relate to their students. “Professor Ahn made an analytical subject like statistics interesting and relevant,” he says. “Many Ross faculty members are quite famous in their fields, yet they still create a classroom environment that is comfortable.”

Puttipa Nukunpradit
MBA ’11
Assistant Vice President and Manager
Krung Thai Bank PLC

Puttipa appreciates how studying business in the U.S. will impact her work in the asset and liability management department of her bank. “The U.S. financial markets are so complex — much more so than Thailand’s,” she says. “It was interesting to think about applications I could eventually bring back to my country.” Immediately upon her return, however, Puttipa knew she could utilize what she learned at Ross. “I never realized how many aspects there are to finance. I liked studying finance from different angles and thinking about new ways to look at our asset and liability structures.” The first three months of the Global MBA Program — where students study in Japan, China, and Korea — also provided Puttipa with new angles for exploration as her bank seeks to expand its foothold in the Asian market. “I learned many things about the cultures of those countries and how they do business. And I now know classmates who work there,” she says. “That will be a huge advantage.”

Martin Reynoso
MBA ’11
Head of Operations
C.M. Pineda Realty

An immediate return on his MBA investment was important for Martin, who works in his family’s real estate business. He returned to the Philippines several times during the Global MBA Program, and each time he brought new knowledge to the table. “I’m already implementing improvements to the business based on what I learned,” he says. “Our company is growing at a rapid rate, so it was the perfect time for me to get this training.” The Ross School’s focus on general management gave Martin the tools he needed to think differently. “In my line of work, I have to think about the other party as a consumer. Ross helped me study the consumer from multiple angles,” he says. “I think about business from an entirely new perspective now.” The team-based approach at Ross gave Martin the skills to be a leader in his family enterprise. “I can better explain my ideas and get their buy-in, which makes it a richer experience.”

Nicholas Shang
BSE ’03/MBA ’11
Business Development Manager
MOIE

As a third-generation University of Michigan student who also has an undergraduate degree from the school, Nick understands the passion of Michigan alumni. “There’s a strong spirit at Michigan that people carry with them after graduation,” he says. “I can go anywhere in the world and find someone who went to Michigan. In terms of business opportunities, you never know where that connection might lead.” At the Ross School, Nick tapped a different aspect of the U-M network through fellow Global MBA students. “We became very close-knit during the Asia session. They gave me a solid understanding of the countries they’re from, as well as an instant network in those countries, which will be beneficial as my company expands,” he says. Nick also valued the three months of on-the-ground training in Japan, Korea, and China — potential future markets for his furniture company — during the Asia session. “That was one of the main reasons I chose the Global MBA Program,” he says. “Plus I knew the excellence of Ross firsthand.”