Marc Boelen left a job at KPMG to pursue an MBA at HKUST Business School, hoping to realize his dream of working in Asia. Now, he heads up strategy at a luxury fashion brand in Hong Kong
Marc Boelen was fascinated by Asia’s fast economic growth, the culture, and the cuisine. Convinced Asia is where the future of business lies, he was determined to forge a career there. It was this that led to him to a full-time MBA at HKUST Business School and a move, with his family in tow, from the Netherlands to Hong Kong.While it was never his intention, Marc has since completed a career triple jump—changing location, role and industry. He’s moved on from a finance role at KPMG in the Netherlands, to become head of strategic planning and growth at Ports 1961—a Canadian luxury fashion brand—in Hong Kong.
For Marc, the HKUST MBA—ranked in the top-15 of the Financial Times’ Global MBA Rankings for nine consecutive years—was key to making his transition a success. The HKUST MBA’s intimate class size—around 120 students each year—gave Marc a solid Asia-based network and easy access to leading professors who are successful businessmen in their own right.
Marc worked for Tommy Hilfiger and Crocs Asia after completing his MBA in 2011, before joining Ports 1961 in October 2017.
BusinessBecause caught up with Marc to find out more.
How did the HKUST MBA help you transition from finance to luxury?
I didn’t set out to switch careers as I was aware that switching careers and moving to a different region at the same time was a challenging task.
During my HKUST Business School MBA though, I looked at fields such as strategy and marketing, different cultures, and different ways of approaching problems. This made me think more strategically and more mindful of different cultures. I was the only European with others from America, Asia, and China and learned how to work effectively despite our differences.
When I graduated, I was still in contact with connections from my career beforehand, where I was involved with the luxury fashion industry. I knew the CFO of Tommy Hilfiger quite well and he asked me to join once I completed my degree.
The MBA definitely helped me widen my perspective on business. It made the career change easier and faster than it would have been without the degree.
How else did you profit from your MBA experience?
A year out of work is good for anyone. It gets you out of the circle of always rushing and working and gives you chance to think about yourself—this starts with the application process.
Throughout the MBA, you spend so much time with different people from different industries and you get exposure to new career perspectives. From this, I’ve reshaped my career in Asia—this probably wouldn’t have happened without my MBA.
Why did you decide to pursue an MBA at HKUST?
I felt HKUST Business School would prepare me for a career in Asia. I also realized that to take my career to the next level, I needed more expertize than purely finance concepts and skills.
HKUST focused heavily on business in Asia and the quality of the professors was fantastic—successful businessmen from different industries and cultures across Asia.
What makes Hong Kong a good destination for MBA students?
It’s where West meets East. Although China is becoming more and more important, Hong Kong is still the major gateway into Asia. Many global companies have their Asia headquarters there.
What advice do you have for anyone considering an MBA?
Some think they’ll do an MBA and everyone will hire them, but that’s over. An MBA makes you a more all-round professional, especially through case-based learning. In addition, it opens up a network of professionals. It’s a great platform, but it all comes down to you. Get out of your comfort zone and create these opportunities.
Student Reviews
Excellent Supporting Staff
HKUST campus is a very scenic place. However, the best part of the university is the professors and administrators. I have had numerous instances where I have approached them outside their office hours and asked them for help. I have always received full support, and they have helped me escape some very tricky situations. I will miss the faculty and especially the UG Hall 5 Residence Master. I am grateful for his help during my undergraduate program. I will recommend people choose HKUST for their bachelor, master, or Ph.D. studies. Do experience the hall life and you will never regret it.
Stressful university
Vibe
Students in HKUST is really competitive, they study really hard.
Environment
Nice sea view and modern campus
Teaching
Many professors are from mainland, whose accent are difficult to understand sometimes.
Harsh grading from most of the professors from my department
Opportunities
HKUST provides many opportunities and guidance for students on careers and extracurricular activities
Hard working and motivational
Major selection activities are very competitive. 1st/2nd year students work hard to get into popular majors they want. If you enjoy working in a competitive environment, this is a great place. Great ocean view with sports facilities and activities ready for you. Many programmes and social clubs available to boost your cv, learn practical skills for future jobs and interviews.
Good for academics but not that good for student life
Professors and teaching staffs definitely know what they are teaching and have strong knowledge in their discipline; Academics can be quite tough and stressful for students as everyone works very hard and course grades are rather competitive; Student societies exist but are not extensive. Activities are also mostly non-existent.
The nice schoolmates
I like the canteen in my school. Friends are sitting together and chat with each other freely, making it a harmonious place to have lunch. Sometimes the professors will also come here to have lunch, some talented schoolmates will talk about academic knowledge with them.
Students take precedence over everything else
I started out as an undergrad in September 2015, and jumped right into their PhD program after finishing up my first degree. I think that itself is a testament to how special a place HKUST holds in my heart. While the stunning beauty offered by its campus, lined by the sea and mountains, was the first to capture my heart, I have grown to love pretty much everything about it with time. What I appreciate the most about it is that the needs, strengths and shortcomings of each student are carefully evaluated to help him/her customize the coursework while ensuring that the degree requirements are met. The student mentors, advisors, instructors and professors are more than willing to give it their all to help out the students. While the atmosphere can certainly get a little competitive, I never saw it take an unhealthy turn; I believe a certain degree of competition, competitiveness and stress might be necessary to drive us towards our goals. If you want to receive the best care and advice and grow into an independent and confident individual, HKUST is the right choice for you! I can guarantee that you won’t regret becoming a part of the family!
