When a faculty member in ASB was invited to Cha’s then-place of work to give a talk on growing and scaling businesses, she shared that ASB was currently in the process of recruiting its first MBA cohort. “I really liked ASB’s teaching style,” says Cha. “Furthermore, the credibility that came with being associated with MIT solidified my decision to apply.”

The experience ended up being everything she hoped it would be and more. To her, every class — in KL and Boston — felt like a TEDx talk instead of a lecture, making it all the easier for her to future-proof herself with lessons in statistics, probability, data analytics, and survey methods — all of which were emerging in the marketing field. “I knew there were a lot of topics I could not be an expert on, but understanding the process was important to me so that I could one day manage people who were experts on it,” Cha explains.

When the opportunity arose for her to put her knowledge into action, she ventured into Southeast Asia, where she contributed her skills to major companies like Prudential, Astro and Procter and Gamble. For her individual project, Cha engaged with URBN Playground, a New York-based company specializing in luxury residential services. Having previously freelanced for them on multiple occasions, she pinpointed numerous ways to enhance their operational services. Impressed, the company’s CEO not only approved her proposal but also funded Cha’s accommodation in New York City as part of her internship compensation.

Born and raised in Malaysia, Crystal Cha completed her journalism degree in the UK as a scholar. She later returned to her homeland to embark on her professional journey, all the while fulfilling an existing bond. In this capacity, she undertook a variety of communications roles within the local landscape. After accumulating valuable experience and demonstrating leadership within start-ups, publicly listed companies, and government-linked organizations, Cha became acutely aware of the industry’s rapid evolution.

Describing this transformation, Cha notes, “Transitions were being made toward data-heavy, digital methods. I wanted to keep my skill set sharp and, at the same time, pivot to working abroad at some point.”

Upon graduation, Cha continued to leverage her enhanced skill set in brand building. Her first stop was Finland, where she focused on selling AI-based marketing software. After a two-year stint there, the pandemic brought her back to KL, where she spent half a year with Microsoft before returning to ASB to serve as Assistant Director of Marketing. Today, she has once again joined URBN Playground — this time remotely, in a significant capacity as the lead storyteller, rather than as an intern.

“I remember once wondering if I should pivot to another specialty, but while working on these projects, I fell in love with marketing all over again,” she says. “I was incorporating modern, analytical approaches into my creative background, and I really enjoyed that.”