Delgernaran Bayar (Denar)

National University of Singapore – The NUS MBA

“A German-born Mongolian who have lived in 7 countries. I once failed at a blockchain-based startup.”

Hometown: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Fun fact about yourself: Entered university at age 15 because I skipped 3 years of school.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Hitotsubashi University, Bachelor of Social Sciences (Social Psychology) – Japan

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Irbis Ventures, Founder and Chief Operating Officer

Where did you intern during the summer of 2021? Consulting Project at Visenze

Where will you be working after graduation? Principal at Goethe International School in Mongolia. Having lived and worked in many countries, I have realized the importance of education. As a Mongolian, it was very challenging for me to learn new languages and adapt to new cultures. I want to share my experience with the younger generation of Mongolians who want to venture out into the world.

As I have little experience working in the education industry, I will be applying the knowledge I have gained from the MBA. Frameworks I have learned in Corporate Strategy and Global Strategic Management, performance monitoring from Operations Management and Accounting modules, and the sustainability standards that I have learned from Sustainability Strategy module. I also found the well-being monitoring of students, teachers, and staff from Talent Management and Development module to be highly useful when I start working after graduation.

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School: I facilitated and streamlined the efforts of most of my groups by capturing everyone’s opinions and suggestions to deliver optimal reports and presentations.

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? In our consulting project, the CEO of Visenze respected our team’s efforts and praised our suggestions and findings. Our team worked hard and harmoniously, leveraging each of our unique strengths while encouraging each other to break out of our comfort zones, contacting professionals around the globe for weeks. To deliver our findings, and receiving recognition by the client, was a singularly rewarding feeling.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? My biggest accomplishment in my career is my adaptability, which was honed through various work environments and positions around the world. Even though I did not know anything about marketing, after many trials and errors, I was able to help the Kobo business in Japan grow from one of the smallest players to being a dominant player in the span of over a year. In Canada, I learned how to code in SQL and was able to improve on a CRM system through a clear reporting system that showed where we could improve in conversion rates. As a business developer working from Singapore, I was able to work on the marketing strategy of Taiwan’s first fully digital bank. As an entrepreneur, I was able to assemble and manage a robust development team in Mongolia and develop the Irbis platform which matches investors and startups.

Why did you choose this business school? Having lived in Singapore for a few years, I’ve always admired how NUS was able to raise the bar for Asian universities.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Prof Prem Shamdasani was my favorite professor. I took three of his modules because all his classes were educational, engaging, and fun. As far as my experiences go, no one could keep us engaged and as curious about the subject matter as he did.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? The Launch Your Transformation module was life-changing. It was a great opportunity to deeply engage with my peers and learn something about myself along the way.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I originally applied for two specializations, but ended up a few credits shy for the second. I would have waived some modules to focus more on the second specialization.

What is the biggest myth about your school?

People think that NUS MBA will get you jobs (while obviously meeting the necessary criteria and skill set) at Asian companies. My peers were offered jobs not just at Asian companies, but at firms based and operating all over the world.

What surprised you the most about business school? The diversity of the community. Everyone has a different story to tell.

What is one thing you did during the application process that gave you an edge at the school you chose? I guess it would be my experience of working in many countries and being an entrepreneur in the tech industry.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? I admire Andrea Coello the most. We have been friends since day one and hit it off right away. She is admired for her academic achievements, her amazing work ethic, her undying positivity, and her engagement with the cohort. She goes above-and-beyond to connect people in different businesses and always encourages them to move forward.

Who most influenced your decision to pursue business in college? My mentor from my first job in Tokyo suggested that I should pursue an MBA to further my growth as a businessperson. This was all the way back in 2013 and I am happy to have followed up on his suggestions.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

• Make the business I lead align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
• Create an environment that leads to personal growth for all employees.

How has the pandemic changed your view of a career? During the pandemic, I have realized how important family is, how much I love them and how much I miss them. Having lived away from my family for most of my life, I realize that with this added time apart, not everything in life is about career.

What made Denar such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2022?

“Denar is a typical NUS MBA in some respects but also atypical in other respects. His international exposure and passion for sustainability are remarkable, traits he shares with many other NUS MBA students. But, he is also unique in that he has managed to accomplish an amazing number of things in his pre-MBA career, including being a tech entrepreneur. I was particularly impressed by his ability to successfully overcome challenges, be it studying in a new locale or completing a challenging assignment at work. I am confident that his rich experience and adaptability will enable him to have an extremely impactful career in the broadest sense, where he will be able balance the value he creates for different stakeholders including communities and his fellow employees.”

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2022