Venice Lau, IMD’s MBA Class of 2023
Venice Lau, IMD’s MBA Class of 2023Age: 26
Hometown: Hong Kong
Undergraduate Institution and Major: The University of Hong Kong, Bachelor of Arts (Hons) with a double major in Language & Communication and Media & Cultural Studies
Pre-MBA Work Experience (role, company, years): Cultural Management Office, University of Hong Kong; Special Project Manager (2022 JUL – 2022 DEC); Marketing and Programme Officer (2019 JUN – 2021 JUN); Intern (2018 SEP – 2019 JUN)
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
I was in a career change. I quit my new job after 1 week while winning the Young Leadership Challenge from IMD, which offered me an MBA candidacy at IMD. Meanwhile, my grandpa passed away while I was preparing for my GMAT. Long story short, I took a spiritual leap to IMD and will see where it lands me next.
Why did you choose IMD? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
Leadership development, for sure. I wasn’t expecting to have that much input into my personal development when I decided to join IMD. Yet the amount of self-reflection, discussions with coaches and group feedback throughout the year has clarified a lot of things I wasn’t able to explain to myself before. Triggers of frustration and motivation, cultural differences and energy management are the key takeaways I can say with certainty have shaped my post-MBA job search approach, mentality towards people and how I see myself.
I think this is the most important tool we ever need in our life – who am I, why am I showing up like this to different people, and how can I better shine and support others? This impacts all aspects of life.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2023?
A little over-caring from a non-profit background makes me a collaborative connector in a very competitive setting. I hope my teammates feel the same and not overburdened by it 😉 and a snack corner in the study room.
PS: Bring the IMD Band winning at MBAT Battle of the Bands for the second year with the amazing team and crowd!
Tell us a fun fact about yourself that didn’t get included on your application:
I have been a cultural critic for a Hong Kong newspaper for over two years.
Post-MBA career interests:
Sustainability Communication Strategy, Culture Management, and Private-Public Collaborations
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
–What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
Join a Business Challenge/Open Day of the Business School
–What is one thing you would change or do differently?
Apply to IMD a few years later. I come from cultural management with a focus on marketing and project management, which compared to my banking and consulting classmates, meant there was more to pick up in the first half of the program. While saying that, classmates and professors are all here to help!
–What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
GMAT failure. Very cliché but still: try again, learn from the mistake, and improve.
What is your initial impression of the IMD students/culture/community?
A lot of novel perspectives and strong characters. Every classmate here brings something unique to the cohort. With 37 nationalities, this provides a lot of diverse perspectives and experiences in the classroom. We did a personality assessment at the start of the year. Knowing myself as having a “balanced” profile compared to the rest of the class who have higher scores for certain facets, working with them allows me to become more flexible and challenges my thoughts and approach to bring solutions and processes to the table.
What is one thing you have learned about IMD that has surprised you?
The amount of free croissants, fruit and tea or coffee that we have access to, in addition to the weekday lunches, all of which helps us with our budgets and encourages us to maintain a healthy lifestyle while we focus on the learning opportunities and coursework.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Being myself. It took me almost eight months to become comfortable in a full business setting. When you are in a group of a smart and ambitious classmates who come from strong competitive industries, I experienced imposter syndrome at the beginning of the year. The leadership stream helped me dissect why I felt this way, find my secure bases, and realise that it’s all about exploring your potential. You get to change the narrative.
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Going into the mountains with classmates and faculty! At the start of the year, we all went on a mountain experience in the Swiss Alps that was focused on sustainability. It was a great way to get to know everyone in those first few weeks in a stunning location. This also made me believe sustainability is possible for the first time, and I’m excited to bring that to real life with the rest of my class.
