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What an MBA taught a PhD: create simple strategies and explain them

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Peter Yin, with a PhD and an MBA, is FedEx's vice president of marketing for the Asia-Pacific division.

Many of the key turning points in Peter Yin’s life appear to have happened by chance, rather than careful planning, but he can be more than satisfied with the way things have worked out so far.

Born in Hong Kong, Yin left to attend college in the United States and at that point, thought he would stay away forever. Later, he found himself unsure which direction to take. “I hate to admit it, but I drifted and changed major five times before settling on sociology, mainly because I could finish it in four years,” he says.

However, he came to love academic life and decided to become a professor, which entailed doing a PhD in his chosen subject. “I came to understand it as a social science and liked the scientific approach,” he says. “I was intrigued by how people research and conceptualise the world.”

It turned out, though, that being a professor at the University of Memphis was not particularly well paid and offered little recognition. Therefore, Yin decided to change track joining Federal Express – now FedEx - as a market researcher. “I was unsure, but it seemed like a good opportunity,” he says. “It fit my academic background and I found it quite a natural move.” The new role was intellectually challenging and Yin kept moving up to reach his current position as the company’s vice president of marketing for the Asia-Pacific division.

Once a professor at the University of Memphis, Yin is now vice president of marketing for the Asia-Pacific division at FedEx.
Once a professor at the University of Memphis, Yin is now vice president of marketing for the Asia-Pacific division at FedEx.

Once a professor at the University of Memphis, Yin is now vice president of marketing for the Asia-Pacific division at FedEx.

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