Glen Chean is a Marketing Director at Huawei and has spent over 25 years in New Zealand, plying his marketing and sales skills in the consumer electronics industry. Before Huawei, Glen had roles for companies such as Samsung, LG and Sony. Glen states he is passionate about mentoring others and business strategy development.
Tell us about your current role
I am the Marketing Director for Huawei Asia-Pacific Marketing and Consumer Business. I am responsible for Huawei’s marketing operations across APAC.
When and where did you achieve your MBA?
I embarked in a two-year executive MBA, at the University of Auckland Business School, in beautiful New Zealand. I graduated in 2010.
What is the most interesting thing you learnt from your EMBA?
When I was first interviewed by the dean of admissions at the University of Auckland Business School, I explained that I needed the EMBA to gain a more balanced perspective towards business management principles – ones that would complement my experiences in consumer electronics and technology. I explained that something was missing and he smirked. Little did I realise that my EMBA journey would become a valuable in terms of self-reflection. It provided me with a greater knowledge of my strengths, weakness and my responsibilities as a decision maker and leader.
If there’s one sentence that summarises the most interesting thing I learned; it’s how to make good decisions, make the right judgement calls and how to go perpendicular from existing mental models.
How has the EMBA made a difference in your life? In particular, your career path and leadership journey?
Immensely…. But not as a fast track to career opportunities (particularly during the global financial crisis).
When I embarked on my EMBA, I did not realise that the global financial crisis would become an incredible incubator for rich learning experiences. During this time, I gained a lot of insights very quickly inside and outside the classroom, and particularly from others within my cohort. The EMBA allowed me to gain a much deeper understanding about myself – around my motivations and why good decision making matters, given the growing complexity and disruption we are all facing each day. Taking on an opposable mind and a life long journey of learning have both proven useful in my career path.
