Pavadee Burapapong

Alliance Manchester Business School

“Outcome-oriented, friendly, FinTech enthusiast, movie-goer, sweet tooth.”

Hometown: Bangkok, Thailand

Fun fact about yourself: I’m a foodie who can sing, write, perform dance, and knows a little bit of Chinese, Japanese and Korean

Undergraduate School and Degree: Chulalongkorn University, Bachelor of Laws

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Financial Technology Regulator at the Securities and Exchange Commission, Thailand (Bangkok, Thailand)

Where did you intern during the summer of 2022? Innovate Finance (London, UK)

Where will you be working after graduation? Innovate Finance (FinTech Ecosystem Manager)

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• Awarded Forté Foundation Fellowship
• Speaker at Manchester Matters (September 2022) topic: ‘What I wish I should have known before an MBA’
• Finalist of AMBS Venture Capital Investment Competition (November 2022)
• Member of Women in Business Club, Banking and Finance Club, and Technology, Media and Telecoms Club
• Project Manager of the Commercial Business consultancy project

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? Being a founder of student-led FinTech enthusiast group, and a knowledge-sharing session called ‘FinTech Talk’, where I had an opportunity to share my experience, skills, and networking tips for Full-time MBA students. Hopefully, our group is still growing after I graduate and there are more events in the future.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? Prior-MBA: Awarded Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI) scholarship and represented Thailand to participate in cohort 2 of the FinTech and Regulatory Innovation program at the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance (CCAF). It was a pleasure that one year later, my final capstone project, ‘One-stop Solution Platform for SMEs and Startups in Thailand’, was selected from 5 cohorts to be showcased to 150 attendees from the Asia Pacific.

During MBA: My article about Metaverse in FinTech was published during the summer internship with Innovate Finance. With my interest and experience in FinTech, I self-sourced my internship by networking and attending industry events and conferences. At Innovate Finance, I learned about marketing and business development for three months and continue working part-time as a FinTech Ecosystem Associate after the internship.

Why did you choose this business school? The Worldwide alumni network and connection with FinTech sector. I had a lot of fun during Coffee Roulette. These were sessions online where we would meet with other MBA students on the various programmes at AMBS and also global alumni from the different global centres (These included Shanghai, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Sao Paulo). Also, the vast amount of alumni networking sessions were amazing. I was grateful to meet my mentor (Jimmy Caceres) from the MBA Mentorship program who supported me in terms of my professional career. The school also has close ties with FinTech organizations in the UK and the region such as FinTech North.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? Professor Ali Owrak who teaches Big Data Analytics elective. During the four-day workshop, I enjoyed the interactive discussion of four case studies, data mining session, and insights from guest speakers. Nothing can compete with a tour of Alliance Manchester Business School’s Data Visualization Observatory that we had on the last day! It was fascinating to see how data and technology integrate in our daily lives and various benefits from them. This is an amazing facility that we are so lucky to have here at AMBS.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? The Mergers and Acquisitions Project by Professor Paul Simpson. During this course we learned to source target companies, develop business cases, and simulated a negotiation day. It taught me to utilize the knowledge from core courses we previously studied, such as business accounting and corporate finance, and develop skills (especially in negotiation). It also helped me during the Venture capital and Private equity elective and the Venture Capital Investment Competition. This competition supplements the acadmics of the programme and run by our postgraduate careers team.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? Manchester Matters, a TED-talk style session of AMBS since 2018. This is an amazing opportunity for us to share any topics of interest with other MBA students and practice public speaking skills. I was fortunate to share my experience to both class of 2023 and 2024 about what to expect, not to forget and how to navigate during an MBA journey. It reflects the school’s approach ‘Original Thinking Applied’.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? I would like to visit other MBA centers more (such as Dubai, Shanghai, and Hong Kong) for my elective workshops. I went to the Singapore center once during my FinTech, Banking and Blockchain elective. It was great to work with Global MBAs (one of the other programmes offered at AMBS), learn another culture, and expand your network from all over the world.

What is the biggest myth about your school? I would say this is what is known as the Manchester Method, which means “learning by doing” from group work to practice-based learning and reflective sessions. At Alliance MBS, we learn in a practical way from working with live clients in three consultancy projects and exchanging feedback with team members. They broadened my perspective and improved my skills to work in a multi-cultural team, considering diversity from 30 nationalities in our cohort. The projects were challenging but not too difficult thanks to supervisors. I really appreciate the support from Martin Berkeley during and after the Commercial Business Project.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? A walkable city center with the second-biggest Chinatown. Good transport links from Manchester airport and train stations that are all in close proximity to the business school.

What surprised you the most about business school? It was the real-world nature of the bidding process for consultancy projects, where MBA students showcased their capabilities and the client assessed them to choose a team that is ‘fit’ for taking on their project. I was also surprised by how good the facilities at the school were, including the MBA common room and the syndicate rooms.

What is one thing you did during the application process that gave you an edge at the school you chose? Non-traditional background and professional experience in FinTech that differentiated me from other applicants

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Shruti Garg, FT MBA Class 2023

Shruti is always supportive and willing to help others. She never hesitated to share her experience and resources with classmates with positive attitude. Not to mention, she has her little son to take care of and was in accelerated 15-month pathway. We were in the same group during Brathay session where our cohort bonded during 3-day activities in the Lake District. No wonder why she was in top 5 for all 3 categories of the MBA Citizenship Scheme!

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

– Be at the forefront to delivering impactful initiatives to improve the FinTech ecosystem.

– Mentor or support aspiring individuals to achieve their goals.

What made Pavadee such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2023?

“Pavadee has demonstrated a real passion for the Fintech space and she successfully sourced an internship in this sector over the summer of 2022. She continues to work on a part-time basis and this determination to build her knowledge and pursue her dreams is inspiring for our MBA community. This positive spirit was also shown when Pavadee collaborated with school alumni to organise a session for all full-time MBA and Global MBA students on the Fintech Ecosystem & the careers and skillset required within the sector. It was a very insightful and informative session and is a great example of Pavadee’s collegiality.”

Naomi Blackwell
Assistant MBA Director

MBAs To Watch: Class Of 2023