Eric Choong

University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of Business

“I started my career as a teacher in classrooms; now I am learning and contributing as a consultant in boardrooms.”

Hometown: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Fun Fact About Yourself: As a teacher, I founded an educational YouTube channel, reaching nearly 80k subscribers and 5m views.

Undergraduate School and Major: Monash University, Finance

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Strategy Analyst, Accenture Strategy

When you think of Notre Dame, what are the first things that come to mind? How have your experiences with the Mendoza program thus far reinforced or upended these early impressions? The first thing that comes to mind is how deeply the program is driven by its values, exemplified by the leadership team, professors, and students. There is a strong commitment to “Grow the Good in Business,” reflected in the genuine support across the program to help one another excel in our individual goals and journeys. Even beyond campus, I have seen the Notre Dame values come to life through alumni who consistently go the extra mile to support current students in their endeavors.

Aside from your classmates, what was the one key part of the Mendoza MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? By virtue of being a program with extensive resources across multiple fields, a key reason I chose the Mendoza MBA is the opportunity for learning and experiences beyond the classroom. Notre Dame’s flagship programs, Meyer Business on the Frontlines and Grow Irish, allow me to apply my consulting experience and classroom learning to real-world challenges. Additionally, I have seen classmates successfully take on multiple roles and projects across the broader university beyond the MBA program in ways that closely align with their individual goals and career aspirations.

What course, club or activity have you enjoyed the most so far at Mendoza? Easily, it is the Consulting Club. The Club’s structured approach to navigating the recruiting process, ability to connect us with valuable alumni and resources, and one-to-one coaching for interview preparation has made me more than ready to take on recruiting for an extremely competitive position.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: It was successfully transitioning from a teacher to strategy consultant at KPMG and Accenture Strategy. As a teacher, I had only used Excel to key in students’ grades and PowerPoint for presentations. It is surreal that, as a strategy consultant, I have used these tools to help my country’s biggest companies solve major business problems.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? Securing an interview invite with one of the top three consulting firms at an extremely competitive office. While the job is not done yet, I am grateful for the resources provided to me from my career coach, the Consulting Club and first- and second-year students who have helped me with networking and interview preparation.

Mendoza is known as a purpose-driven MBA program that asks students to “Grow the good in business.” What is your mission and how has Mendoza been helping you realize it? As a former teacher, I saw how strategies and policies developed by consulting firms shaped government policies which dictate how millions of students across the globe learn. My mission is to contribute to education goals worldwide through developing strategies that improve access and outcomes in education systems.

What has been your best memory as an MBA so far? October 18th, Notre Dame vs USC.

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