Ripple Wu

IE Business School

“Why “Ripple”? Because I want to be in the center where the “Wow” wave started.”

Hometown: Taipei, Taiwan

Fun Fact About Yourself: Well, it’s a fact and funny in its telling after the fact. I decided to come to the MBA to mend a broken heart. So far so good.

Undergraduate School and Major: National Taiwan University Business Administration

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: QNAP Systems, Inc. Product Manager.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: As a product manager in a top SMB data storage company, I simultaneously led three R&D teams to port an advanced enterprise storage feature called “Snapshot” to the entry-level server products, using a 100-page spec. Since small business owners could also use this feature to protect their data from Ransomware within just a few clicks, the company gained more than a 10% sales increase that quarter.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far, and why? When IE uses the term “MBA out of the ordinary,” it is not just in reference to the program but also the students. IE Business School students are not only diverse in their backgrounds but also their career goals. The only common quality and trait I can identify from my classmates is a certain boldness to create change within or around themselves. For example, one of my classmates, who had been an international FMCG factory manager, is now looking to start his own social business to help the poor in his country. Another one of my peers, from the Big Data & AI Club, worked in the government sector for the national defense trade before coming to the MBA; she is now learning about data analysis in order to get into technology innovation. In Taiwan, working in the international business or government sector is already considered a privilege, and people seldom changed jobs.

Students often come to IE because they are unsatisfied – in whatever way – with their previous career, even if it is already (and it often is) a successful one. With so many soul seekers in the class, my classmates are truly different from other MBAs in that they are genuine agents of change with an eagerness to define and achieve their own version of success.

When IE uses the term ” MBA out of the ordinary”, it also means that the students who come to IE are also the same. The students at IE are not only diversified in the background but also their career goals. The only common quality and trait I can identify from my classmates are the boldness to make a change. For example, one of my classmates, an international FMCG factory manager, is now seeking to start his own social business for the poor in his country. And one of my colleagues in the Big Data & AI Club once worked in the government sector for the national defense trade, She is now learning data analysis to take her rule in technology innovation. In Taiwan, working in the international business or government sector is already considered a privilege, and people seldom changed jobs. But here students come to IE because they are not satisfied with their previous career, even already be a successful one.

Aside from your classmates, what was the critical part of the MBA programming that led you to choose this business school, and why was it so important to you? What brought me to choose IE is the fact that it is a one-year MBA and a highly customizable experience. I am financing the MBA myself.  This, plus the fact that I work in the fast-paced, ever-changing technology industry, I was conscious that time away from work must be considered very seriously. I also wanted a program that allowed me to maximize my learning through internship opportunities, exchange periods, elective courses, and labs where we can focus on social impact, technology, or starting our own business venture. Yes, the shorter period is more demanding for the student, but the program is highly suitable for people like me who desire a have-it-all MBA experience in a limited time.

IE Business School calls itself “An “MBA out of the ordinary.” How has IE’s curriculum and activities been out of the ordinary from what you expected or what you experienced in other educational institutions? IE Business School is rather “young” compared to other similar institutions. Because it was founded by an entrepreneur, the school – like it’s students – is eager for continuous improvement and change. To that point, the school puts heavy focus on entrepreneurship education. In the core period in which students must go through primary entrepreneur mindset and idea evaluation training, both in the lab and the elective period. Beyond that, the student can form their own group to study and start their business idea while receiving continued support and training. This experience is very different from my previous education experience and speaks, I believe, to the spirit of IE.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? “If you have 1 million dollars at your disposal, what kind of business would you like to create?” The question itself is simple. Still, a good answer can only be given by someone who has already thought deeply about the problems they have encountered in daily life and the change they’d like to make in order to create value and positive impact.

What do you see yourself doing in ten years? Despite already having been a product manager in a technology company, my previous experience determining the product roadmap and major features is still limited. After graduating from the MBA, I’d like to continue my path in software development, in Management Software or AI for example, where I would be leading multiple teams and developing product features. I want to be an “intrapreneur” and identify product roadmaps from the strategy angle. Farther out in the future, with experience under my belt, I’d like to be in a top leadership position in which I focus on integrating the latest technology to create not just profit for the company but also a positive impact on society.

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