Han Wai Khor

Imperial Business School

“Driven, proactive, intellectually curious, adaptive, solution oriented, team player and consensus builder, legal risk manager.”

Age: 46

Hometown: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Fun fact about yourself: I am an avid wine fan and to date have tasted well over 1000 different wines from all over the world.

Undergraduate School and Degree: National University of Singapore, Bachelor of Laws

Where are you currently working? I currently work at ICBC International Holdings Limited (the Hong Kong-based investment banking subsidiary of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd.) as their General Counsel (Head of Legal).

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? I was promoted to my current role as Head of Legal at ICBC International Holdings Limited at the end of 2017, succeeding my predecessor upon their retirement. One of my proudest achievements in this position was leading our Legal team to be featured in the inaugural edition of Legal 500’s GC Powerlist: Hong Kong Teams 2018—a prestigious recognition by a leading legal research and data platform—within just a year of taking over the team.

The award was particularly meaningful to me as a new manager as I was very aware of the importance of having a supportive and cohesive team. It played a key role in boosting morale and rallying support of the Legal team around me in my first year of leadership. Additionally, it helped build management’s confidence in my ability to lead the legal function (especially meaningful as I was relatively young at the time and was in an industry where seniority often carries weight). While myself and the team have received other industry awards and recognition since then, that first award remains a standout professional achievement I’m especially proud of.

Why did you choose this school’s online MBA program? My decision was based on several factors. Imperial’s consistent ranking as a global top ten university initially stood out to me, making it a compelling choice. I was also drawn to the institution’s strong foundation in science and technology, and particularly how the Business School has leveraged this strength to offer a curriculum with a technology focus —allowing me to learn more about Data Analytics, AI, Cleantech, Fintech and Blockchain —all highly appealing and are extremely topical in today’s world.

Another factor that led me to Imperial Business School was the diversity of its student body. Our cohort includes students from 46 different nationalities and a wide range of industries.

Further to this, I was attracted by the program’s flexible structure. In addition to online content delivery, it offers ample opportunities to participate in on-campus electives in the second year, allowing students to tailor a blend of online and in-person learning to fit their schedules.

What was your favorite part of being in an online MBA program? The online nature of Imperial’s Global Online MBA program created an exceptionally diverse cohort, with students of varying ages, nationalities, and professional backgrounds. Interacting with this cohort and listening to the diverse viewpoints presented has been my favorite part of being in the program. Such exchanges would be difficult to replicate in a purely professional setting, where organizational hierarchy and differing business cultures can often limit open dialogue. Many of my classmates are younger than me and I find it particularly refreshing to hear their perspectives and insights on AI tools or other technological innovations that they are using in their work and daily lives.

How did your online experience compare with your in-the-classroom experience as an undergraduate student? Perhaps due to the slightly more mature demographic and the postgraduate nature of the program, I observed a few noticeable differences. Students tend to be more proactive in participating in online classes and contributing to discussions in various forums, fostering a healthy exchange of views. The cohort is also generally very supportive, often sharing resources, study strategies, and guidance on assignments and exams. Overall, I have not encountered the overtly competitive behavior that can sometimes be observed in undergraduate settings.

What is your best piece of advice to an applicant for thriving in an online MBA program? Be disciplined, and exigencies of life notwithstanding, do try to follow the session timelines suggested by the program.

How has your online education helped you in your current job? As part of my current role, I sit on several internal committees responsible for approving investments and other financial transactions. While I come from a non-financial background, I’ve developed the ability to read and interpret financial information on the job. The Financial and Management Accounting module has been particularly helpful in providing a more structured understanding and a useful refresher on how to approach financial statements. Concepts learned during the organizational behavior module have also been helpful for me in reviewing and re-assessing my approaches to the management of my team.

Did you earn a promotion while in the program or immediately after graduation? It is still early on in my MBA journey. My motivation for taking the program was less related to immediate promotion within my organization and more driven by a desire to upskill —particularly in areas outside of legal knowledge—and to prepare for the next phase of my career, which may include non-legal opportunities.

Why did you pursue an online MBA program instead of a full-time residential or executive MBA program? Balancing my busy work and personal schedule, the online format of the program allowed me to tailor my learning around these commitments, which would have been challenging if I had pursued a full-time residential program at this stage in my life.

I did consider other Executive MBA programs, but given the additional time commitment required for on-campus attendance, I realized I needed a program that would allow me to balance my role in Hong Kong. Ultimately, I chose to apply to Imperial, as it offered the flexibility I needed and the opportunity to engage with a highly diverse cohort, which was an important factor in my decision.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What insights did you gain from using AI? In our Organizational Behavior module, we had an AI teaching assistant named “MarkBot” (named after the module leader), that we could ask questions and even receive initial feedback on approaches to assignments. The module leader for the program also actively encouraged the use of AI tools in researching and refining approaches to assignments and tasks.

All in all, while AI tools still have their limitations at this stage, they were nonetheless helpful in tasks such as summarizing articles or with basic research. In addition, as the quality of output from AI tools is also correlated to the quality of questions posed, I also found the usage of AI tools to be conducive to improving clarity of thought. The iterative process of interacting with the AI helped me distill and articulate my reasoning more clearly, ensuring meaningful feedback.

Number of Hours Per Week Spent on an Online MBA: 15-20 hours

What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? I hope to leverage the skills and networks gained from the MBA program to achieve my professional goals in several ways. First, I aim to transition into a different professional domain, for example, risk management outside of legal. I am also interested in exploring opportunities to develop within a different industry, such as Cleantech or sustainable finance.

Ultimately, my goal is to build a career that not only supports my professional development, but also allows me to give back to the community by contributing to meaningful causes.

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