Interview with Hawaii Executive MBA Program - November 2013

I have recently been interviewed by the Vietnam Executive MBA Program at the University of Hawaii. The interview is part of the Program's published Newsletter which I would like to share with you since some of my answers addressed the balance between work and life and referred the APLP experience.

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Ms. Loan Le is a graduate of VEMBA Hanoi Intake 2 (2001-2004), and has recently graduated from the Asia Pacific Leadership Program at the East-West Center in Hawaii. The Editorial Board of (VEMBA Alumni Newsletter) congratulated and interviewed her on this recent achievement as well as her experience with VEMBA Hawaii.

Ms. Loan Le photo at the VEMBA 2 Graduation Ceremony with the Program Coordinator Dana Alden, May 2004

Loan Le's short biography: A career business development and program management professional, Ms. Loan has worked with the Embassy of Denmark in Hanoi, USAID Vietnam, UNDP, the International Trade Center (ITC) of Geneva, Strategic Consulting Group, MiTac International Corp. (Taiwan ICT), Singapore Business Group, and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) in Vietnam.

During her time working with these international organizations, she has provided significant support to the private sector of Vietnam, the U.S., and Denmark. Her major expertise includes business match-making, business development, social entrepreneurship, and trade and investment advice. She has developed hundreds of commercially viable partnerships in various sectors and facilitated many business disputes and resilience-building in Vietnam.

VEMBA Hawaii: What motivated you to study VEMBA Hawaii & how has this program changed you?

My career passion in strengthening the private sector in Vietnam and helping Vietnamese companies to better integrate and cooperate with international partners was my initial motivation to pursue the VEMBA Hawaii. My background and work experience with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) was a good start for me to move forward to my passion.

In 2002, I was working with a UNDP Trade and Export Development Project in Hanoi. Knowing that the VEMBA Program was one of the best-quality accredited MBA programs in Vietnam, especially with it designed to fit with those who had already had business experience at the executive level, I decided to upgrade my skills and knowledge in business management to a larger scale.

The program provided outstanding American professors from Hawaii to teach us not only in theory but very much in practical. I can tell that because a number of professors were business consultants who shared with us a lot of valuable business experience in the U.S.

I was glad that what I learned from the program enabled me not only to perform effectively at the workplaces but also to network and integrate into the community and society both in Vietnam and the U.S.

After graduation from VEMBA, I worked with the Economic Growth Program at USAID, then subsequently with the Business-to-Business (B2B) Program of the Embassy of Denmark in Vietnam where I earned a reputation for contributing significantly to the growth of the private sector in Vietnam and Denmark. And since I studied and worked at the East-West Center, I have continued voluntarily to promote doing business in Vietnam with Hawaiian companies by connecting with relevant business stakeholders in Honolulu. As for me personally, the VEMBA Program also changed my mindset in many aspects of life. For example, I learned how to think and work in creative and innovative ways. Before, I was just a good follower to do what exactly I was told to do, in sync with Vietnamese culture :- )

Another unique aspect of the VEMBA program is its offering elective courses in Hawaii. I found this to be a superb opportunity for me and other VEMBA participants to join class with American students and attend a lot of networking events. Until now, I can still maintain my network with people we met in Hawaii 10 years ago. Some have become my mentors; some are my great friends.

The bottom line or what I gained perhaps most from the VEMBA: Confidence. Before graduating from it, when I would receive leads for high-powered jobs, I just didn’t have the confidence to go for them.

That changed with my having earned this Executive MBA. In fact, I became the Head of the B2B Program for the Danish Embassy, with my replacing a career Foreign Service Dane after the Danish Ambassador Peter Lysholt Hansen recognized in me my ability to run his program.   

VEMBA Hawaii: What thing do you remember most about VEMBA Hawaii?

What I remember the most is my time learning and working with my group consisting of six people. We applied each knowledge-gained from the program and our professional experience to help develop a business strategy for a newly established joint venture (JV) in the bedding sector.

One year after consulting and developing a strategy for the venture needing improving, we learned that they had implemented our strategic recommendations; as a result, their sales, turnover, and revenue had increased 30-40% compared to that of the previous year. We had learned well, and the University of Hawaii had taught splendidly!

That was the first time for my performance to bring a tremendous benefit to a company, a fantastic experience in learning by doing. More specifically, it was my group’s performance; they had chosen me to be their group leader.

This consulting where we had to go out and find a company for them to pay for our help was our VEMBA capstone course.

My three favorites about VEMBA Hawaii: Teamwork, fun retreat with the VEMBA cohort, the program staff and professors, and an absolutely wonderful trip to Hawaii for a summer session.

VEMBA Hawaii: VEMBA Hanoi Intake 8 and HCM Intake 6 will take place next month. Could you share with them some advice to be successful in the program or how to balance work-life during this intensive program? Any message you want to give them as new students and as future alumni? 

Asking questions is the first thing I would like to share with VEMBA participants. For example, English is our second language; therefore, sometimes we may not fully understand a part of the lecture. One needs to ask to make sure of understanding.

The more you ask, the more you can learn. Asking questions related to your work is the way you can quickly learn in practice. VEMBA professors sometime may give marvelous advice that helps you make a competent decision or resolve a dilemma in life or at work.

VEMBA program is indeed intensive. I remember often staying up late until 2-3am (even 3:30am for the management accounting course), to complete my individual assignments and coordinate with my team to accomplish group assignments.

Most of us worked during the day and had no time for homework during the day. I was fortunate to have great support from my parents and spouse who took good care of my child for me to concentrate on my work and study. It is hard to have a good balance in this situation, but when we look back, we should be proud of accomplishing successfully such a program. Practice makes perfect, diligence is the mother of success – as our Vietnamese proverb :-) (co cong mai sac co ngay nen kim).

Ms. Loan Le’s photo with her 3 year old-daughter on the VEMBA 2 Graduation Ceremony, May 2004

  

VEMBA Hawaii: You have had one more time to study with the University of Hawaii as an East-West Center Fellow. Could you share your success with East West Center Fellowship Program? How did you experience this opportunity and your advice for candidates this year? 

I am a graduate of the Asia Pacific Leadership Program (APLP) this year. As I know, many fellowship programs prioritize for alumni. I believe that being a VEMBA graduate (GPA 3.5) was part of my success in receiving the APLP fellowship award. And of course, professional work and academic experience, personal talent and capacity are also some criteria that the East-West Center looks into during the application assessment.

My short comment about the APLP at the East-West Center: Participants will enjoy in-class, outdoor activities, potluck, fun, networking, leadership, connection, friendship, collaboration, sharing, team spirit, and especially a three-week field study visit to the east coast of the US or China. For me, it was just a fantastic learning experience not only from the US and international lecturers but particularly from fellows from the many nations of Asia Pacific.

The APLP applications for 2014-2015 are now being accepted through Dec. 1, 2013. Please visit www.eastwestcenter.org/aplp or email aplp@eastwestcenter.org for more information.