Tzu-Ling (Linda) Huang

Warwick Business School

“I am a passionate project manager in smart transportation and a fashion maniac.”

Hometown: Taipei, Taiwan

Fun fact about yourself: I’m a fashion enthusiast; I can identify the brand of clothes or accessories based just on their design style without seeing the logo.

Undergraduate School and Degree: Yuan Ze University Bachelor of Business Administration

Where was the last place you worked before enrolling in business school? Kingwaytek Technology, Assistant Sales and Project Manager

Where did you intern during the summer of 2023? N/A

Where will you be working after graduation? I haven’t decided yet.

Community Work and Leadership Roles in Business School:

• Member of the “Women in Business” Club at Warwick Business School
• Member of the “Case Study Club” at Warwick Business School
• Member of the ‘Product and Tech Club” at Warwick Business School

Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? One of the proudest moments of my MBA journey was self-sourcing a dissertation project alongside my classmate Yun Chen, where we sought collaboration opportunities with a company. This adventure was like solving a complex puzzle; interviewing diverse individuals to define our direction, clarifying problems, and assembling a coherent theme for our research.

I chose this project because it perfectly encapsulated the full spectrum of skills developed during my MBA—networking, persuasion, critical thinking, and teamwork. It demonstrated the real-world application of our academic learnings. Furthermore, it challenged us to think innovatively, to narrow down and deconstruct complex questions into manageable parts, and to devise effective strategies to address them. This process was not just about finding solutions; it was about evolving our approach to problem-solving, showcasing the depth and adaptability we’ve gained through our MBA experience.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? While at Kingwaytek Technology, our department faced the challenge of transforming the company’s self-driving vehicle solutions to generate more business value out of them. As a project manager, I spotted a chance to revolutionize our approach by emphasizing user needs over new costly technological advancements. When I received the opportunity to work with Taoyuan International Airport, Taiwan’s largest airport, I approached the project with a new mindset to create affordable and inclusive solutions.

As a new member and the only woman in the team, I understood the importance of presenting solid evidence to persuade the team. I collected cost analysis from past projects and international case studies to present compelling evidence for reforming our approach. With the support of the technical team, we worked together to analyze the airport’s traffic flow. We then looked at how we could reduce the limitations of the airport’s infrastructure while enhancing the user experience. Ultimately, we designed an on-demand self-driving transit service for the parking area and completed the first stage of the ‘proof of concept’. Passengers could board a self-driving car, input their parking space number, and the AI system would autonomously navigate the vehicle to their car and then return to pick up the next group of passengers. The change I initiated transformed our team’s mindset and established the foundation of a service model for future commercial applications.

Why did you choose this business school? In both my personal and professional life, I respect uniqueness and innovation, and I strive to learn new skills for addressing practical issues. The emphasis on innovation at Warwick Business School, together with its CORE values of Curiosity, Openness, Restlessness and Excellence completely align with my values. Furthermore, I want to interact with people from other cultures who are drawn to WBS by these shared values and learn from their diverse experiences. And I must say, I have truly observed the CORE qualities in my classmates. In discussions, everyone eagerly shares diverse views and respects different opinions, fostering a collaborative and understanding learning environment.

Who was your favorite MBA professor? My favorite professor is Christos Kolympiris from the Innovation and Strategic Entrepreneurship course. Coming from the start-up industry, I initially thought that finding the balance between innovation and business would require a lot of experience and thus be difficult to learn through just one course. However, Professor Kolympiris’ teaching style made it much more accessible and provided a roadmap to get an innovation off the ground.

Among the topics, I particularly enjoyed the lesson on “Evidence-Based Decision Making.” He discussed methods for acquiring causal knowledge and designing experiments. He used a really interesting case study to further explain this. In our case study, we examined the impact of two experimental groups on a decision-making process, using a randomized controlled trial, hypothesis testing and other factors as our measurement standards. Our analysis revealed that both experimental groups overlooked the importance of their design in different ways, leading to the experiments acting as independent cases rather than a cohesive continuation. This oversight underscored the critical role of design in ensuring the efficacy and relevance of experimental research. Under the guidance of Professor Kolympiris, I learned to systematically approach innovation by basing decisions on solid evidence rather than intuition.

What was your favorite course as an MBA? My favorite course in my MBA program was LeadershipPlus. The core aim of the LeadershipPlus course is to develop a personalized leadership style by understanding one’s own personality and learning how to collaborate with people of different personalities. At the beginning of the course, they utilized a model developed by a company called Mindflick, which has taken lessons from high performance sports teams and applied them to the business world, to help us understand our own mindsets and behavior styles. For instance, it explored whether we focus on risks or rewards when faced with new opportunities. This was followed by various case studies and group activities designed to prompt reflection on our own behaviors and those of our team.

The reason I favor this course is its practical framework, which aids in learning about team management—an inherently abstract subject. This approach not only facilitated a deeper understanding of how different leadership styles affect team dynamics but also equipped us with the tools to effectively manage and lead diverse teams. Through interactive sessions and reflective exercises, I gained insights into effective communication, conflict resolution, and the art of motivation, which are crucial skills for any leader. Moreover, the course’s emphasis on self-awareness as a foundation for leadership growth has been particularly transformative, encouraging a continuous journey of personal and professional development.

What was your favorite MBA event or tradition at your business school? My top pick was the Strategy Challenge Competition. Professors Hossam Zeitoun and John Colley spearheaded this event in our “Strategic Thinking” course, assigning each group a company to strategize for overcoming business hurdles. It was an intense blend of theory application, teamwork, and creative problem-solving, highlighting the practical side of strategic management.

Another aspect I appreciated about the challenge was the complexity of the company assigned by the professors. Our team was tasked with a company that presented significant technical barriers to understand, compounded by the scarcity of information available online. This situation trained us to extract insights and make strategic decisions based on limited information, enhancing our ability to think critically and adaptively in uncertain environments.

Looking back over your MBA experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently and why? If I got the chance to redo my MBA, I wish I could have been less self-conscious. At the beginning of my MBA journey, I felt behind my peers and underqualified. However, it took some time to convince myself that I could inspire my classmates and there is no need to force myself to follow a path that does not align with my own pace and learning style. Recognizing this earlier would have allowed me to embrace my unique perspectives more fully, fostering a more confident and enriching MBA experience.

What is the biggest myth about your school?  I believe there are no stereotypes about the students or culture at WBS. However, a common preconception people have before joining WBS is its location—not being in the city center and being far from London. People might think this detracts from the overall living experience. From what I’ve experienced, this is actually an advantage because it fosters more quality time for students to interact and learn from each other.

What did you love most about your business school’s town? I think the environment at WBS perfectly balances serenity and convenience. The area around the school has well-developed living facilities, and it is only a 10 to 15-minute drive from the center of Coventry. Additionally, the nights are noticeably quiet and safe, making the overall environment highly conducive to study.

What surprised you the most about business school? I was incredibly surprised by the level of support I received from my classmates. Our program is an intensive one-year course, which means everyone’s schedule is extremely tight and busy. However, whenever I needed help with academics, career advice, or personal matters, my classmates were always willing to pause their own tasks to assist me. Furthermore, the ability of our cohort to develop close relationships in such a brief period was an unexpected and valuable gain.

Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Our MBA class is full of talented individuals, making it difficult to single out just one person. However, if I must choose, that person would be Darren Kurnia. We were in the same syndicate group during the first semester, and that is when I learned how Darren, once he sets his eyes on a goal, is relentless in his pursuit of it. His focus is both admirable and inspiring. Additionally, he is always willing to offer help to classmates – for example, by sharing insights from his own experiences and simplifying complex concepts for anyone struggling to understand. I am fortunate to be in the same class as him.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list? My number one goal will be to focus on the smart transport industry and play a key role in shaping the future of mobility. Secondly, I aim to utilize my work and learning experiences to inspire young women in the tech industry and support them in their career journeys. Being in the tech industry where women are a minority and lacking a technical background, I initially felt my opinions were overlooked. However, beyond technology, business strategy plays a crucial role in product success. Thus, I focused on researching how to balance product development with business applications and crafted a compelling project proposal. Gradually, this approach helped me carve out my niche in the industry. Moving forward, I plan to support and empower more women in similar situations, advocating for their leadership and enhancing industry diversity.

What made Linda such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2024?

“Linda’s journey through the MBA program has been remarkable, displaying tremendous personal and professional growth. She has found her voice, confidently speaking for herself and her peers. Not one to shy away from challenges, Linda approaches confrontation with courage, favouring constructive dialogue to resolve issues.

Her resilience is commendable; she persistently strives for excellence even in adversity. Her evolution and determination truly set her apart, making her an exceptional candidate.

“Her professional background is also remarkably diverse; coming from marketing roles in luxury brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, she then pivoted into the automotive industry in a business development capacity working on several special projects for the Taiwanese Government around self-driving vehicles.

She was the only female member of the self-driving vehicles team and showed robust evidence of overcoming adversity, going above and beyond to ensure she met her personal goals and exceeded the expectations of her team-mates and management.

In her application and interview she demonstrated this time and again. Not only by gathering a huge amount of research and evidence to push her successful plan for the Taoyuan International Airport, but also in working with Taiwan’s biggest telecom company on a self-driving project to improve mobility in Thailand. And I particularly liked her tale of how she converted a golf cart into a self-driving vehicle for a smart port project in Kaohsiung to improve portside transit.

She was drawn to Warwick and the West Midlands due to its strong links to the automotive sector, with companies like Jaguar Land Rover working closely with the University of Warwick’s engineering department WMG. This aligned to her future career goals to work in a product manager role. Linda had researched thoroughly Warwick’s commitment to being at the forefront of intelligent vehicles and smart technology. And she has taken advantage of being on campus to explore the research and technology being developed at Warwick in this area.

Her natural curiosity and relentless drive to succeed make Linda an outstanding MBA candidate.”

Nuo Xu
Full-time MBA Careers Manager

DON’T MISS: MBAS TO WATCH: CLASS OF 2024