Kevin Wijaya

The Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University

“Forward-looking consumer-tech enthusiast who loves sneakers and streetwear.”

Hometown: Jakarta, Indonesia

Fun Fact About Yourself: Adidas fan + sneaker fanatic + black-colour lover = a sneakerhead who only wears black Adidas sneakers (in fact the only shoes I own that aren’t black are my formal shoes).

Undergraduate School and Major: Cologne Business School, Accounting & Finance, International Business (Double Degree)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Shopee International – Senior Project Management Associate

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far:

1. Received the Above and Beyond employee award at GE during my time as a Financial Management Program (FMP) Associate.
2. Helped my team successfully meet our mid-year business targets for sales, profit and cash flows while in a Global FP&A role at GE.
3. Selected by the Institute of Management Accountants for one of their Young Professional Leaders awards, attending their Board of Directors meeting in Mahwah, New Jersey, October 2017.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Diverse, ambitious and fun!

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? The university’s brand. I think this is a very important factor in choosing an MBA program, because at the end of the day, the quality of the program will be reflected in the university’s brand. McGill is very well-known, even as far away as Indonesia! Not to mention that the program is now ranked the #1 MBA Program in Canada by the Financial Times. I felt like I couldn’t go wrong with this choice.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school?

Club: Management Consulting Club, Business Technology Club

Activities: International study tour, business case competitions

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I think that after working professionally for three years in various roles, you develop an idea of what kind of job and industry really suit you well. This is at least true for me as someone who worked at both at a multi-national conglomerate, doing regional and global roles, and at a tech start-up in a national role, with experience varying from management accounting, financial planning and analysis, project management and marketing. I’d like to use the opportunity of the MBA program to shift my focus from finance to marketing/business strategy, as I find that this better suits my personality. Also, I feel like this is the perfect timing in my life to prioritize studying and developing personally and professionally before pursuing other goals in life (starting a family, having children, etc.).

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I believe that an MBA program is one of the best investments a professional can make for him or herself, because it improves your interpersonal skills, business acumen, as well as leadership abilities. The more important question, however, is which program to take or which school to choose? That’s because, in the end, this has a major impact on the MBA experience. I’ve no doubt McGill’s MBA program is a worthy investment.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Amsterdam Business School, ESMT Berlin

How did you determine your fit at various schools? First, I looked at the courses and academic program structure to better know the direction of the program and whether it suits my expectations. Second, I researched alumni to see where they worked post-graduation and to generally gain a sense of where the school has established business networks and connections. Next, I looked at the school’s QS and FT rankings. Finally I evaluated the city and country where the school is located for personal preference.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I think my defining moment was when I went to Germany to study. It was the first time I traveled away from home, and during my study period I had the time to visit many countries in Europe. This experience really opened my eyes and helped me see the world differently. It helped me develop a global mindset and embrace cultural diversity. That particular experience also helped me to excel in my career and in a way contributed to me landing here at McGill for my MBA.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? After I graduate, I plan to work in North America (US or Canada) in a consulting firm specializing in the tech industry or at a tech firm doing business development or marketing strategy.

Where do you see yourself in five years? In five years, I see myself working as a manager (business development/marketing) in a tech company (probably in North America/Europe) and starting to raise a family.