Global MBA Leadership Conference & Exposition
Global Vision, Global Leadership
January 12-13, 2012
January 11, 2012: Pre-Conference Program
Marina Bay Sands Singapore
NAAMBA & MBA CSC Wrap Up the Inaugural Global MBA Leadership Conference & Expo in Singapore!
The much anticipated Global MBA Leadership Conference & Exposition took place at the world-class Marina Bay Sands in Singapore January 11-13, 2012. The attendees consisted of MBA students, job seekers, working professionals, career services representatives, and recruiters, from over 10 countries and 5 continents. This inaugural event, organized by the National Association of Asian MBAs (NAAMBA) in partnership with the MBA Career Services Council (MBA CSC) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School as the Lead Academic Sponsor, was the first of its kind global conference to have been organized in Asia. For NAAMBA, this conference holds special importance and value as it officially marks NAAMBA’s expansion into Asia-Pacific Region. This expansion provides us with unique opportunities to continue to fulfill our mission of empowering and advancing Pan-Asian professionals globally.
We thank our sponsors, exhibitors, partners, speakers, and volunteers for making the Global MBA Leadership Conference & Exposition a success.
Conference Overview
The conference sessions provided for ample networking and professional development opportunities for attendees and talent acquisition and information sharing opportunities for corporate recruiters.
Day 1: The Pre-Conference Program took place on Wednesday, January 11 and featured a Company Visit hosted by Eli Lilly & Company. Open to students interested in pharmaceutical industry, the Company Visit included a presentation on Lilly’s background as well as information on the Leadership Development Program and Research & Development at Lilly. Participants also learned about career opportunities for MBAs at the company and had the opportunity to visit Lilly’s research facility, Lilly NUS Phase 1 Clinic.
Pre-Conference evening featured a Welcome Reception hosted by the MBA CSC with the objective of starting conversations about ways to work together to create opportunities for students and alumni in Asia and surrounding regions.
Day 2: Thursday, January 12 kicked off with the Business Planning Meeting hosted by the MBA CSC to explore MBA CSC’s expansion into Asia, including an Asian region MBA CSC conference for career services and recruiting professionals. Some of the topics discussed included: MBA recruiting trends in Asia, career services best practices in Asia and MBA CSC’s upcoming conferences in Berlin and Seattle.
The Career Exposition featured conference exhibitors seeking Pan-Asian talent for various internship and career opportunities in Asia. Resume Critiquing Sessions provided job seekers with a chance to connect with high caliber resume coaches one-on-one to receive critical resume tips and advice on job search strategies. Johnson & Johnson hosted a Company Informational Session to discuss career opportunities at the company. Johnson & Johnson and Microsoft hosted MBA Recruiting Discussions for career services representatives. The day’s activities concluded with a Company Informational & Networking Session hosted by Lilly, featuring Lilly recruiters from Asian markets.
Day 3: The Leadership Conference on Friday, January 13 commenced with the Mentoring Breakfast which featured Mentors from across industries who engaged and networked with conference attendees, followed by a General Session titled ‘Asian Voices’ presented by CSW Associates Inc., a global leader on issues of diversity and inclusion. Professional Development Sessions featured topics such as: Global Leadership Re-Defined: Changing Face of a Global Leader, How to Attract & Retain Top Global Pan-Asian Talent and Landing Your Dream Job: Showcasing Your Value Proposition to Multinational Corporations (MNCs). During the Leadership Luncheon, NAAMBA, MBA CSC and NUS Business School representatives spoke about the partnership they established in organizing this event and the value the partnership and the conference brings to their respective organizations. The Luncheon also featured an address by Varun Bhatia, Vice President, Human Resources Asia Pacific, Kraft Foods. The conference culminated on a positive note with the afternoon General Session on Diversity & Inclusion Landscape in Asia.
Looking Ahead
With high level of interest from global companies and conference attendees, especially career services professionals, and with the momentum generated in Singapore through this event, we look forward to returning to Asia next year as this important continent becomes the center of gravity for MNCs and job seekers.
extracted from http://www.asianmba.org/global-mba-conference-highlights