March 20, 2023
Current students and recent graduates of the NYU Stern-NYU Shanghai MS programs joined a virtual panel discussion with four NYU Stern alumni based in Asia who shared their experiences and lessons gained from their professional careers since their Stern degrees. Moderated by Ronald Chan (NYU Stern BS ’02), Founder and CIO at Chartwell Capital Limited (H.K.) and President of the NYU Hong Kong Alumni Club, the panel allowed MS students and graduates to gain critical insights and advice on how to grow a professional network and establish themselves in their early careers. The four panelists have each followed unique career trajectories, but all four demonstrate the value and relevance of how to leverage a NYU and Stern degree for a successful career in Asia.
Conrad Yan (NYU Stern BS ’92, NYU Stern MBA ’93), Co-Managing Partner at Albamen Capital Partners, has worked in the financial industry since graduation, but said he is constantly searching and reassessing for a specific area within finance to focus on: “I try to do something in a very measurable way because what gets measured gets managed. For me, generating the financial outcome is a formal report card.”
In contrast to Conrad, Carol Szeto (NYU Stern MBA ’00), CEO for Save the Children Hong Kong, has had many career transitions, working in the pharmaceutical industry, consulting, and non-profit industries at different points. She appreciated the business skills she learned at Stern: “I had a finance degree but never did anything with finance. If I could do it all over again, I would still major in finance and engineering for the business skills I bring with me: the results focused, the analytical mindset, and the marketing skills, all these things are applicable to the nonprofit world that is just using different languages compared to the private sector.”
Elisa Skilton (NYU Stern BS ’97, NYU Stern MBA ’03), General Manager at Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation Limited, spoke about her professional journey in New York and Hong Kong and how she is constantly trying to balance work and professional interests with being a mom of four children. She recently transitioned to charitable causes hoping to make a greater impact after working in accounting and finance for many years.
Panelists also shared their specific perspectives on environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) within both the investing and social lens. At the end of the panel, panelists recommended current MS students and recent graduates stay positive when facing the uncertainty ahead and reiterated the importance of leveraging the NYU and Stern networks in their career progression. Conrad remarked: “Life moves on. All the businesses will still be there but take place in different forms. There will always be jobs but we just don’t know what they are. Be patient and stay positive.” Carol emphasized that we all have the agility mindset to adapt to the challenges, and Elisa encouraged young graduates to cultivate meaningful relationships with alumni, recommending outreach to alumni to seek advice and learn about their career path.
As the panelists reflected, the Stern and larger NYU networks are full of friendly faces and helpful hands all around the world eager to support the next generation in their career goals and aspirations.