Stanislav Borisov

National University of Singapore Business School

“6.5 feet tall, energetic, vegetarian from Siberia.”

Hometown: Krasnoyarsk, Russia (Siberia)

Fun fact about yourself: Since I’m from Siberia, people think that I have a wild bear as a pet at home, but actually my wildest pet so far is Roomba – a robo vacuum cleaner.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Siberian Federal University, Bachelor + Master in Operations Management of Power Plants

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Dietsmann Technologies (France), Deputy Project Manager for Maintenance & Inspection Engineering Projects

Where did you intern during the summer of 2018? EcoLabs – Centre of Innovation for Energy (Singapore)

Where will you be working after graduation? EcoLabs – Centre of Innovation for Energy (Singapore), Innovation Manager

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

1. Recipient of The NUS MBA Achiever Award
2. President of The NUS MBA Students’ Council AY2018-2019, overseeing Council external engagement and the management of 12 MBA Clubs
3. The NUS MBA Cohort Representative on The NUS MBA Alumni Association Board of Directors
4. Global Network for Advanced Management (GNAM) Ambassador for The NUS MBA
5. Class Champion and a speaker for Commencement Class Giving 2020

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I’m most proud of keeping the Students’ Council active throughout the year. We managed to organise more than 60 events within one year, in spite of the rigorous academic programme, multiple career service workshops, weekly industry events, case and sport competitions, and (of course) regular social and networking events.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I’m most proud of helping Dietsmann Technologies win the bid for Yamal LNG project – the biggest engineering project in the company’s history that saved almost 100 jobs in the Toulouse office during a recession, by coordinating the process of document preparation that lasted for 6 months.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? This is probably the toughest question because I have six professors who had a big impact on my life through their passionate and insightful teaching. However, if I have to choose only one, it would have to be Professor Ishtiaq Pasha Mahmood. His course on Asian Business Environments opened my eyes to the rich and diverse mix of cultures in Asia, as well as how each country’s history shaped their respective modern business practices. Professor Pasha is not only extremely passionate and knowledgeable about cultures, history and business, he is also admirably humble and can captivate the full class’ attention with his unparalleled storytelling to highlight a learning point. His module deeply resonated with my desire to learn more about the nuances of doing business in Asia, one of my main reasons for joining The NUS MBA program.

Why did you choose this business school? I choose the NUS MBA program for three main reasons:

1. Its focus on Asia. It is reflected in the academic curriculum, class composition, and vast alumni network in the region.
2. NUS Business School and Singapore’s great reputation.
3. A flexible and extensive program that allows me to tailor my own schedule based on my interests. Academic wise, NUS Business School offers a great variety of electives, opportunities to do real-life consulting projects for an MNC client, and the flexibility to take up online classes offered by other B-schools through the Global Network for Advanced Management (GNAM). There are also many opportunities to run or participate in clubs and sports events, as well as join exchange and global immersion programs. Career-wise, we can benefit from the school’s career service events and workshops, and learn greatly from multiple part-time and full-time internships.

What is your best advice to an applicant hoping to get into your school’s MBA program? Be genuine during your application process. The school would like to know not only your accomplishments, but also to understand your personality. An MBA is not just a degree; it is a transformative journey best experienced in the company of like-minded people.

And I would especially encourage candidates from western cultures, like myself, to get out of our comfort zones and consider the NUS MBA. It will broaden your horizons and will give you a greater understanding and appreciation of Asian cultural diversity, which can be beneficial both for personal and professional development.

What is the biggest myth about your school? There is a general notion that MBAs are for people predominantly from or targeting consulting and finance industries. I was happy to discover that the NUS MBA is much more diverse than this and covers a wide variety of industries and professions, including tech, entrepreneurship, healthcare, education, energy, and construction. This enhances the learning experience and gives us a broader choice of employment after graduation.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? It was a great time; I wouldn’t want to change it.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? There are many admirable personalities in our cohort and one of them, whom I consider a great Singaporean representative, is Nicholas Zeng. His sharp mind is a treasure in classroom settings where he asks “to the point” questions that benefit learning for all, while his genuine humbleness makes him very likable and draws people towards him. Nicholas always knows what to say to make others feel better, be it in a group discussion or in personal conversations. I have also observed how his unique speaking style, a quiet but passionate voice, is captivating. All these qualities make him a natural, smart and compassionate leader.

 Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? My decision to come to study an MBA in Singapore was influenced by a great role model and one of the greatest leaders – Lee Kuan Yew, the first prime minister of Singapore. After reading his book, From Third World to First, and watching a number of his speeches and interviews, I was inspired to visit Singapore and to my delight it was as he described it. That includes a solid education system and a vibrant business environment, both of which are represented at NUS.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? Working at EcoLabs – Centre of Innovation for Energy, I’m fulfilling my dream of building an innovation-driven cleantech energy ecosystem. I would like to help hundreds of deep tech start-ups to modernise and in some areas disrupt the energy industry, starting from Singapore and Southeast Asia. One way to achieve it through business development is  by engaging and bringing more partners (start-ups, corporates, investors, etc) into the ecosystem to make it more valuable to all. The second is through leading ambitious flagship projects that have a great disruptive potential. They attract the attention of not only industry players, but also the general public and make people rethink what is possible.

In one sentence, how would you like your peers to remember you? A passionate and positive leader that changes the world for the better.

Hobbies?

• Reading around 60 books per year (leadership, self-development, business, finance, biographies, etc)
• Organising communities and events (international, cultural, public speaking and leadership groups, MBA, etc)
• Learning languages (speaks Russian, French, English, Thai; currently learning Chinese)
• Sports (e.g. table tennis – silver medal at MBA Olympics)

What made Stanislav Borisov such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2020?

“Stanislav managed to successfully navigate through a stringent admissions process, rising above more than 1,200 outstanding applicants from around the world, beating intense competition to secure a highly coveted seat in the NUS MBA. I am privileged to have had the opportunity of regularly interacting and working with Stanislav on various occasions. Since he joined NUS in July 2018, he has made a positive impression with his commitment to learn and contribute to his MBA experience. As President of the Student Council, he would tirelessly work with the Graduate Studies Office and various stakeholders such as the Career Services Office and the Global Alumni Network Office to share his ideas on anything that would help his cohort maximize their time in the NUS MBA program.

During his candidature, Stanislav has successfully organized several social and professional events, as well as helped in the brainstorming of ideas during the renovation of the MBA Student Lounge. He actively participated in the NUS MBA Orientation for the new intake cohort, gave several speeches and organized an event for Student Council candidates. He also worked as a Teaching Assistant for NUS MBA Operations Leadership Class. Stanislav has displayed great leadership. He is always positive and has excellent organization and project management skills. I would position him as a strong NUS MBA graduate of Class 2020, deserving of an opportunity to continue developing his life and career here in Singapore.”

Professor Jochen Wirtz,
Vice Dean (Graduate Studies)
National University of Singapore Business School

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