Bonnie Yiu

London Business School

“Passionate about leveraging technology to better lives. Diving and sailing enthusiast from Down Under.”

Hometown: Sydney, Australia

Fun Fact About Yourself: My friend and I had a close brush with the law after (accidentally) trespassing during a swim in the Zurich lake, ousted only by a pair of nesting water fouls that quacked loudly and incessantly as we approached. It drew out some angry neighbors. Luckily, we both were speedy swimmers!

Undergraduate School and Major: University of Technology (Australia), Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) & Bachelor of Communication in Journalism

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Founder of blockchain and emerging technologies consulting firm Consulere.io. Previously an Associate at Baker McKenzie and Judicial Clerk to a Supreme Court judge.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Venturing into entrepreneurship before being institutionalized into writing legal proses for life!

With some seriousness, I have been fortunate enough to build a business that has allowed me to work with companies that are working to leverage technology to better lives every day. Along the way, I learned how to be comfortable in dynamic settings and ambiguous situations and how to work agilely across functions.

Through my work, I also had the opportunity to take on a more public role and had appeared on national TV and presented at conferences both nationally and internationally (including before our Australian Prime Minister and the Duke of York).

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? I have not had the pleasure to meet my classmates yet, but the diversity of our cohort in terms of geography (60+ nationalities) and wealth of experience has been astounding.

What is the best part of coming to London to earn your MBA? To be based in one of the world’s greatest financial, technological and cultural hub and having the opportunity to tap into the intellectual horsepower of its residents. As an avid traveler, I also look forward to using London as a launchpad to explore other parts of Europe.

Aside from your classmate and location, 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 alumni and students from LBS. The people who I connected with during the admission process were not only intelligent and driven but also incredibly humble and down-to-earth. A scholarship from LBS also helped ease my immediate financial concerns to pursue an MBA.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? The Sailing Club. Sailing in the Thames would be quite an experience!

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? As part of the initial application process, I was given the opportunity, through an optional essay, to share more about my background and story with the admission committee.

I took some considerable time to reflect on my journey and motivations in life. In the hurly-burley of life and work, it is often rare to take time to reflect not only on the “what” we do, but on the “how” and “why” quite so clearly. I must have rewritten that essay a dozen times!

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I must confess I had not considered pursuing an MBA until my mentor suggested I consider doing so. Given the respect and admiration I have for him, I took him up on his advice quite seriously.

Ultimately, after having done my own research and spoken with alumni from different schools, I feel that to have an engaging career it was important that I supplement my experience with business skills and learnings.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Oxford. Wingardium Leviosa!

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I based my decision quite heavily on interactions with current students and alumni. Ultimately, I want to be with people who are driven, curious, intelligent and down-to-earth. Visiting schools helped me visualize life on campus while assessing my overall fit, and I was particularly excited about the opportunity to live in central London.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? A short stint working in Silicon Valley after I graduated was pivotal in shaping my career. The experience exposed me to the disruptive powers of technology and opened my eyes to new possibilities and concepts. Ultimately, it inspired me to found my own business working with technology companies.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? I hope to continue doing work that is meaningful and challenging. Being able to effectively lead large multi-functional teams to drive impact at scale is of prime importance to me.

See The Entire Meet The Class Series Here