Meet The MBA Class Of 2023: Arthur Wungkana, North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler)

Arthur Wungkana

University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School

“I’m probably the biggest fan of the Tar Heels in our MBA program.”

Hometown: London, U.K. and Jakarta, Indonesia

Fun Fact About Yourself: I lived across from Mark Carney’s house in London. He was Governor of Bank of England. I think it was pretty cool to see him working in his library (yes, I could see from my window!) thinking that whatever he was working on might affect my life and the rest of the U.K. (and the world).

Undergraduate School and Major:

Atma Jaya Catholic University of Indonesia – Accounting

Cranfield School of Management, Master of Science in Finance (grad school)

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: OWL Media – Corporate Finance Senior Associate.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Kenan-Flagler’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? It was UNC Kenan-Flagler’s strong roots in liberal arts. In Indonesia, I had to choose my major from the beginning in college. Although it helped me to specialized in one subject, it disallowed me to explore different subjects that I might be interested in. UNC Kenan-Flagler’s MBA program with its deep roots in liberal arts education allows me to explore subjects outside my field in business context. It’s also about the whole MBA experience. Having lived in big city like London and Jakarta for the most of my life, being in the beautiful college town of Chapel Hill is refreshing. Last but not least, my experience as student athlete back in college also drew me to choose UNC where I’ll have the opportunity to watch the greatest rivalry in college basketball (Go Heels!).

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Kenan-Flagler? The Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) – the world’s largest venture capital competition hosted by UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School – where I’ll be able to gain first-hand knowledge about venture capital as well as the opportunity to connect with students from other business schools globally.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: In late 2019, the company I worked for was just recovering from the long-tailed impact of Brexit in the U.K. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and our journey to recover seemed to be getting longer. I provided my analysis and presented scenarios to senior managers on how we should approach the unfavorable impacts to our business. I was later given the opportunity to lead the implementation and successfully helped my employer to navigate this crisis and stabilize our finances.

How did COVID-19 change your perspective on your career and your life in general? COVID-19 proved that you still can be productive working from home. I know a few friends who benefited from WFH by being able to spend more time with their families. I think, going forward, hybrid in-person and online will be a new norm in most of industries. In fact, I’m doing hybrid in this MBA program. It helps me to juggle between academic, recruiting and social events.

What is the most important quality of a leader…and why is it so important to success? Humility.

Counterintuitive to common beliefs in society, humility doesn’t make a leader looks weak. I believe that by putting yourself in someone else’s shoes broadens your perspective and helps you in making right decisions.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? In transitioning into a decision-maker role, I realized that I need to hone my leadership skills as well as fundamental business knowledge. I believe that my MBA will help me to widen my business knowledge and develop interdisciplinary mindset in making decisions, not merely focus on finance. I hope to join a VC firm in the long-term in Indonesia. I believe that being a capital allocator is one way to make an impact on a bigger scale and to drive innovations in society.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? NYU Stern, UVA Darden, Carnegie Mellon – Tepper, Georgetown McDonough.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Kenan-Flagler’s MBA program? Be authentic – don’t be curated, your own voice matters. Reach out to students and alumni and visit the campus to find culture fit. (When you visit Chapel Hill, don’t forget to visit Carolina Basketball Museum!)

DON’T MISS: MEET UNC’S KENAN-FLAGLER MBA CLASS OF 2023

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