Adil Saxena has experienced marketing’s digital revolution first-hand. Working in brand management for Pizza Hut India, he saw the portion of the company’s marketing budget dedicated to digital go from non-existent to over a quarter in a matter of years.
Now, he wants to kick-start his career in marketing in Hong Kong; one of the world’s centers for technological innovation. And, as a full-time MBA student at Hong Kong’s CUHK Business School, he’s well-placed to do so.
CUHK plays host to the longest-established MBA program in Asia. 93% of its students find roles within six months of graduation with an average salary increase of 120%.
Adil started the CUHK MBA’s marketing and entrepreneurship concentration in August this year. He’s president of the school’s marketing club and in charge of marketing for 2017’s Graduate Business Forum featuring over 100 of the world’s leading business schools. At CUHK, he’s making the industry connections necessary to break into Hong Kong’s business elite.
What are your plans for the future?
Marketing is my calling. And working for an international retail brand with operations in Hong Kong is my immediate goal.
I want to be a core catalyst for creating people-centric strategies, as digital economies and millennial mindsets create new avenues and transform global markets.
How is marketing changing?
Digital avenues are now more than just easy sources for interactions with the end user. What started as a route to execute promotions and push sales, is now used to create unique content and expand market share.
With so many new channels of interaction, coupled with the ability to capture and process data in real-time, the term 'speed to market' is set to be redefined. And with augmented reality entering the fray - think Pokémon Go - brands have the power to connect with their consumers in deeply engaging ways and influence buying behavior like never before.
Why did you decide to pursue an MBA at CUHK?
With global growth firmly poised to rest in Asia, I strived to put myself in one of the top programs in the region. And I was eager to gain an elite international network that could offer me the resources, mentorship and legitimacy to succeed.
I felt that the CUHK MBA was tailor-made for me, with its flexible one-year program, a small and diverse class and an incredible career management center, all in the dynamic city of Hong Kong.
What should applicants think about when deciding to do an MBA?
Look within before you look outside. Figure out who you are, what you need, and where you want to be.
Once you've done that, you must put in the more labor-intensive effort of school research; to find synergies with programs across the world. Always be realistic. Not everyone will benefit from a big name school.
How have you profited from your MBA experience so far?
When I found myself doing things that I never imagined for myself on a daily basis, inside the first month, I knew that I had come to the right place. Hong Kong is a business maze and CUHK has been the perfect gateway into its elite.
The welcoming environment of the class has encouraged me to grab onto the many opportunities that CUHK has thrown at us. An established, widespread and engaged alumni network has given me access to conversations I wouldn't even have dreamed of a few months ago.
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