How the Kellogg-HKUST EMBA programme equips business leaders to transform their industries worldwide

Among the students joining the Kellogg-HKUST EMBA programme this year is Federico Malek, a veteran businessman from Argentina who is in the process of setting up his own private equity firm.

Malek, who was awarded the programme’s entrepreneurship scholarship, has followed a lifelong dream to go into business. “While other teenagers admired football players or Marvel characters, my superheroes were young entrepreneurs creating revolutionary companies with never-seen-before visions,” he says.

From e-commerce to insurtech, Malek has experience in emerging sectors. He is co-founder and CEO of Wonder Brands, a start-up that aims to consolidate promising digitally native vertical brands across Latin America into a consumer goods company.

Malek anticipates that the EMBA programme will allow him to build a diverse network and come up with a new approach to creating a business.

“The programme can provide me with access to a global ecosystem of businesses and investors, and connect them with interesting and profitable opportunities in Latin America,” he says. “It can also help me strengthen my business knowledge by learning from my peers and top-tier faculty members from HKUST and Kellogg.”

Although he is based in Latin America, Malek was drawn to studying in Asia because he recognises the value of the region’s emerging economies, and wants to learn firsthand about what they have to offer. “China and Southeast Asia have long been developing the most innovative digital ecosystems worldwide,” he says.

Also starting Kellogg-HKUST EMBA studies this year is Jiajing Lin, partner and head of real estate at Oriental Patron, a financial company in Hong Kong. She is the recipient of the programme’s scholarship for women.

She works in private equity real estate, after starting her career as an investment analyst from the buy side, then making a transition to the sell side and moving up in the financial world over the years. Lin is currently in charge of a real estate platform that she developed.

“At this stage of my career, I desire to join an EMBA programme to further my leadership development and academic training, along with a new extended executive network that will lead to potential growth opportunities and synergies,” she says.

“The Kellogg-HKUST EMBA programme’s tremendous reputation in marketing and strategy is greatly attractive to me, as they are highly relevant to my business and leadership role.”

She sees the programme as a highly valuable opportunity to obtain global and multidisciplinary business perspectives, and says she is looking forward to meeting people from different sectors with similar ambitions.

Another executive entering the EMBA programme is Yuma Miyata, board director and vice-president of Simple Mart Retail, a leading supermarket chain in Taiwan. He was awarded the programme’s scholarship for sustainability.

When searching for an EMBA programme, Miyata had three criteria in mind. First, he wanted to study in Hong Kong for its strategic location and excellent academia. He also sought a flexible curriculum that suited his busy work schedule, and he wanted to study at a top-tier, globally recognised university.

He aims to apply his studies to scaling up Simple Mart – which currently comprises more than 750 stores – into a robust network across Asia, while also coming up with new ways to transform the business amid the pandemic.

“I feel we need to go outside the retail industry to survive the next five years post-pandemic,” says Miyata, who is in charge of strategic planning and customer relationships as well as mergers and acquisitions for the company.

“For that, I want to explore new areas like digital transformation, fintech and big-data analytics, and I believe that as a hub of leaders and world-class faculties from all over the globe, the Kellogg-HKUST Executive MBA programme is the ideal place for me.”

Hear more about the Kellogg-HKUST Executive MBA programme from admissions staff and alumni during an online information session from 7pm to 9.30pm on February 23. Check out the full overview of the webinar, which will also offer a sample class.