Spending most of his childhood in Canada, Kevin She came back to Hong Kong to work in the family business after he had completed a degree in Economics.
The business, which involved trading raw materials and chemicals, was not going well, leaving She without a vision of what his future might be like. While looking for a new job, he decided that an MBA was the solution – the networking opportunities particularly appealed to him.
“I was 28 when I did the MBA and thought nothing of being the second youngest – but looking back, I wish I’d had more work experience,” he says. She advises having eight to 10 years of experience, which should include managerial roles. “Our company was small and I didn’t have many people under me, so I didn’t have the same experience to share with classmates,” he admits.
With Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, as his alma mater, She stayed in Hong Kong, only travelling to the US for the final part of the course. However, it required discipline. “You can’t do this without dedication, working all weekend from Friday night to Sunday night – it’s hectic,” he says candidly.
However, the MBA didn’t lead She to the sort of new working experience he’d expected. A large Kwun Tong factory owned by a family business was no longer needed, so She decided that dividing up the building and renting it out for storage would be a good side project.
