Contributors: Robert Francis, Director at DataVolt and Bee Nee Khaw, Head of Corporate Finance and Investor Relations at Mah Sing Group Berhad
Two professionals. Two industries. One transformative Global MBA experience that shaped their leadership lens.
The New Currency of Career Growth
The professional world has moved beyond credentials as a passport to success. In today’s world, agile leadership, global exposure and strategic thinking are the new must-haves, and the premium on them has never been higher. Across multiple industries, on multiple levels, professionals want more than certifications — they want transformation.
Enter Robert Francis and Bee Nee Khaw, two professionals with vastly different backgrounds, one rooted in global data infrastructure, the other in corporate finance and investor relations. But here’s what they have in common: they both hold a Global MBA from Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS).
Whether it’s steering the development of hyperscale data centres or shaping investor strategies in listed corporations, both alumni credit their Global MBA for expanding their capabilities, strengthening their networks, and sharpening their leadership edge. Their journeys illuminate the power of education not just to inform but to transform.
“An MBA is not just about textbooks or theory, it’s about learning to think differently, lead with purpose, and step confidently into more strategic roles,” said Robert Francis.
Why They Chose the Global MBA
Robert, now Director at DataVolt, was managing mission-critical infrastructure projects across regions when he recognised a need: not more technical expertise, but deeper strategic clarity and leadership agility. His career trajectory, starting from Singapore, progressing to Malaysia and recently earning a promotion to a leadership role in the United Arab Emirates, reflects how the Global MBA fast-tracked his international progression. “I had to realign my financial plans and structure my life around this goal,” he recalls. “But the outcome was worth every sacrifice.”
For professionals eyeing regional or cross-border opportunities, recognition matters. The University of Manchester’s (UOM) accreditation by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, UAE (MOHESR), offered an added layer of legitimacy, a credential that aligned with Robert’s career ambitions and eased his transition into the Middle East’s competitive leadership landscape.
For Bee Nee Khaw, already a qualified ACCA accountant with Big Four experience, the MBA was a pivotal move. Immediately after graduation, she pivoted from internal finance roles to lead Corporate Finance and Investor Relations, taking on strategic responsibilities including investor communication, market analysis, and finance storytelling. “Progressing to senior management demanded more than technical acumen,” she explains. “The MBA helped me evolve from a finance specialist into a forward-looking corporate leader.”
Their reasons varied, but the solution aligned: a globally respected programme with rigorous academics and unmatched flexibility.
The Power of Global Exposure
One of the unique advantages of the programme lies in its global immersion. Through study trips and international workshops in cities like Dubai, Manchester, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur, students are able to immerse themselves in a diverse business environment, which helps in sharpening their cultural fluency and leadership perspective.
While Bee Nee embraced this first-hand, learning alongside peers from across industries and regions, Robert experienced the global exposure through the programme’s international curriculum. For both, it broadened their ability to lead with empathy and adaptability across markets.
This global perspective proved critical as both navigated complex cross-border challenges. Robert reflects, “It reinforced that there is no one right way to lead,” he says. “Local logic and values matter. That mindset shift made me a more empathetic and adaptive leader.”
By blending international viewpoints with local application, the programme offered more than technical know-how; it built cultural intelligence.
Bee Nee, on the other hand, embraced the diversity in full. “Learning alongside professionals from different industries and countries elevated the whole experience. The cultural contrast sparked so many insights that I apply even today in my investor relations work.”
Flexible Learning for High-Achievers
What stood out most to them wasn’t just what they learned, but how they learned it. The Global MBA’s blended delivery model, which combined the discipline of online study with the depth of in-person workshops, redefined what higher education could look like for time-starved professionals.
Instead of pausing their careers, Robert and Bee Nee advanced them in real time, applying insights from coursework directly into boardrooms, investor meetings, and strategic planning sessions.
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