Nancy Ding

“Curious thinker and major foodie at heart”

Class / Grad Year: 2024

Current Employer / Role: Manager, Product Management and Product Lead @ EY

Is this the industry and role you envisioned yourself in upon entering the program?

Yes and no. I come from a fintech background in Product Management and have been working at SaaS companies the entirety of my career so going into consulting was not in my grand scheme of plans post-grad. I knew that I wanted to go back to Product after graduating and wanted to work on AI Products. Stumbling upon this role at EY was a happy coincidence where I would be working in a startup-like org on AI Products within EY and it wasn’t a traditional consulting role. I am currently the Product Lead on building an AI-enabled analytics platform with my team for wealth management firms.

Why was HEC Paris and their MBA program the right fit for you among all of the options out there?

The caliber of the program with professors of international backgrounds, shortened length of the program and the alliances with various companies for networking opportunities had appealed to me the most on deciding where I would want to do my MBA. Starting an MBA program is a tremendous investment, both on the monetary and time front. It was crucial for me to pick the right program that would fit with my needs.

How has the program helped you grow personally or professionally since graduating?

On a professional level, it has given me a 360 view into how businesses are run and aspects that I wouldn’t have necessarily learned if I was only working within Product. While I would define myself as an extroverted introvert previously, and still do, the MBA has also given me much more confidence in how I present myself and how I act. On a personal level, it has given me lifelong friends from my group of peers. Since most of us lived on campus, it was really easy to create a community outside of class to plan outings to downtown Paris, plan trips together, host potluck dinners, etc.

What’s a standout moment or memory from your time at HEC Paris that really stuck with you?

By far, the Career Trek Weeks hosted by the various MBA clubs. I was the President of the Tech Club during my time and along with my team, we organized the Tech Club Trek to Amsterdam. With the tech movement expanding so much in Amsterdam, it gave us the chance to explore industry giants, such as Cisco and Uber, and also immerse ourselves in the startup hub, such as Picnic. It was important for us to as an organization to offer the career trek for our cohorts so that everyone could continue to expand their networks. You never know if an encounter could turn into a career next.

How did you balance your work/school/home life during your degree? What were the biggest challenges?

Time was truly the biggest challenge. We’re presented with so many different choices when starting the MBA and it was honestly learning to not say “yes” to everything. Prioritizing appropriately really helped me in figuring out how and where I should be spending my time.

What are some of the biggest takeaways or skills you gained from the MBA experience?

Deciding to do the MBA abroad vs. here back home in the US was not an easy decision for me and it made me step outside of my comfort zone. It allowed me to really think outside of the box and the whole experience felt as if I was in a startup incubator where I got to try so many new things.

What is your advice for those who are considering applying to the HEC Paris MBA program?

Business school won’t change you directly, but it will give you many opportunities to pick which path you want to take. It’s really a “choose your adventure” decision where aside from the support of the MBA program, you have to be open-minded to all opportunities. Such as joining in on an HEC networking event that you might not have the industry background in, reaching out to speakers or alumni from HEC on LinkedIn, participating in external networking events in Paris, etc. You never know what would come out of it until you try.

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