Ngoc Do

University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business

“A believer of ‘doing louder than saying’, and a kid lover.”

Hometown: Lam Dong, Vietnam

Fun Fact About Yourself: I wish I can gain weight so that I do not need to buy clothes at kid section in the U.S.

Undergraduate School and Major: Vietnam National University – University of Economics and Law, Major: International Economics Relations

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: The Nielsen Company, Above-market Global Client Delivery Manager

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the school’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? It’s Mendoza’s philosophy to bring the best out of business and the opportunity to take dual degree between MBA and Master in Business Analytics. This will help me build upon both technical and leadership skills to bring impacts to communities in a meaningful way.

What quality best describes your MBA classmates and why? Strong. We are coming together to Notre Dame in a very unique situation, a time when it is very easy to say ‘No’ to a further study. However, I could see my classmates joining the program with all excitements and commitments and they are strong enough to stay kind and supportive despite the own challenges they face.

What club or activity excites you most at this school? Business on the front-line (BOTFL) program. This is a special and meaningful course in which I can bring the leadership philosophy and technical skills I will learn at Mendoza to make real impact on societies.

Mendoza is known as a purpose-driven MBA program that asks students to “Ask More of Business.” What is your mission and how will Mendoza help you realize it? I seek to combine the power of technologies and data in adding value to business and communities. With the focus on nurturing Tender-Strong-True leaders, Mendoza can help me strengthen my personal values that will guide me through my future career. At the same time, the many resources such as IDEA center or BOTFL will be great opportunities for me to identify an effective direction of putting ideas into actions.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I was one of the first Vietnamese employees joined the regional client service team of Nielsen in Asia-Pacific and in the first six months, I helped a global client identify over-30 Million USD opportunities in Thailand and Philippines. The positive feedback from the client earned me an excellent award. More than that, I felt accomplished because my analysis and recommendations contributed to my client’s business strategy across countries.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? Having worked with retail measurement data to influence sales and marketing strategies for years, I wanted to deal with more diversified data sets and solve broader issues in both business and social life. An MBA, in particular an MBA in dual with Master in Business Analytics, will be a true enabler to achieve that goal. The program can help me establish a thorough understanding about business, learn different perspectives from a diversified student body, and enhance analytical skills.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? It was a case question related to logistics, for which I had to apply and prove my logical thinking.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? My main priorities when choosing business schools are: first, the curriculum and resources support my learning goals; second, the values align with my own values; and third, financial supports. With those priorities in mind, I searched on the internet for top business schools that offer MBA programs with specialization on data analytics. I did not really use any specific tools, but I spent time to study websites and brochures of each school in my list in terms of its mission, value, scholarship opportunities and academic programs. I also read profiles and success stories of alumni from the universities to find the examples that resonate with my career goals.

What was your defining moment and how did it prepare you for business school? I always had a dream of studying abroad, but never felt I had enough capability or resource to make it happen. When I took the opportunity to relocate from Vietnam to Singapore to work on a regional team for Nielsen, I realized that moving was not something to be scared of; there are so many things to learn from the outside world. During the time I worked with more regional stakeholders, I found that I need more skills to make broader decisions. These factors motivated me to go for a further study. I informed my manager nearly half a year before I started my application process. That gave both my company and myself ample time to prepare for the changes.

What is your favorite company and what could business students learn from them? The main (and favorite client) I worked with in my previous company was Procter and Gamble. In my opinion, P&G is a pioneer in many fronts, from product innovations to AI application in CPG field.  With the value of “Touching Lives, Improving Life”, P&G also demonstrates great social responsibilities. The company is aiming to use packaging that is 100% recyclable or reusable for its leadership brands by 2030.

DON’T MISS: MEET NOTRE DAME MENDOA’S CLASS OF 2022