“These projects exposed me to how businesses are being done in different countries in Southeast Asia, mainly due to its diversity in culture and economy,” Yeo explains. “The exposure also equipped us with the skills to navigate a global economy and become effective leaders. However, it was the collective MBA experience that taught me what it meant to navigate ambiguity and be agile.”

Initially trained as a chemical engineer, David Yeo's professional journey took an unexpected twist — he found that engineering wasn’t where his true passion lay. Embracing this revelation, he ventured into the realms of sales and marketing, where he discovered his fulfilment working as an analyst. Although the transferable soft skills he acquired during his undergraduate years proved valuable, Yeo yearned for the ability to communicate his discoveries more compellingly to key decision-makers and top-level executives. This drive prompted his decision to pursue an MBA.

ASB immediately stood out for its collaboration with MIT Sloan. “The affiliation meant the quality of education was guaranteed,” he says. “It meant I would be able to learn from top lecturers. I also saw in brochures that the cohort was very diverse, which meant I would be able to learn from people representing various backgrounds.”

What Yeo didn’t know was that it also meant deep diving into subjects he never knew existed, such as Platform lessons in KL and System Dynamics courses during his Spring

Immersion experience at MIT. It was during these experiences that he uncovered a passion for business development, which eventually evolved into a true calling once he began participating in ASB’s Action Learning initiatives.

These skills came in handy when Yeo graduated in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic. He initially had plans to explore the world of alternative proteins — an interest he developed during his MBA internship, but since traveling was out of the question, Yeo got creative.

“Instead of sitting at home, I quickly adapted and shifted my strategy to start networking virtually. I offered my market research and consulting services, pro bono, to organizations in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Shanghai,” he explains. “These experiences allowed me to build my portfolio in the alternative protein industry, proving my expertise and dedication.”

Eventually, Yeo took on a full-time role as the Head of Business Development at Phuture Foods, a plant-based meat startup in Malaysia. Then, a former mentor encouraged his return to ASB to use his consultancy skills to help prospective MBAs make the most of their experience. It wasn’t long before his surroundings inspired him to further quench his intellectual thirst — this time, in Boston, where MIT Sloan’s Master of Science in Management Studies (MSMS) is offered.

The MSMS complements an MBA or equivalent master’s degree from a partner or affiliate school — ASB, Fudan International MBA Program, HEC Paris, IE Business School, Imperial College Business School, INSEAD, Lisbon MBA Program, Tsinghua Global MBA Program and the University of Naples Parthenope.