Why I am Choosing to Do an EMFin This Year

Mao Lin Cheong

Re-examining the fundamentals in a watershed year

For better or for worse, 2020 will go down in the history books as a watershed year. The global trade tensions, Hong Kong unrest, Black Lives Matter demonstrations, and of course, COVID-19 are set to alter the nature of work as we know it, and we are only half way through the year! Many industries, including the finance industry in which I have spent the last five years of my life, will be affected.

Numerous disruptions are on the cards, accelerated by the above catalysts.

Now is the prime time to hunker down and re-examine the fundamentals and conceptual underpinnings of my chosen industry, especially with the practical knowledge I have gained over the course of these past few years.

I am a firm believer of going back to the first principles, and a newly buttressed foundation will help me and my fellow Executive Master in Finance (EMFin) classmates quickly understand and capitalise on any new financial innovation and development that is set to appear as the markets recover.

Uncertainty breeds opportunity. I am confident that doing the EMFin this year will put me in pole position to better seize the bull (market) by the horns once the situation starts to turn around.

Finance is a multi-faceted industry with many different specialisations.

My career trajectory so far has been quite focused on bank to corporate lending, but there is still so much more to learn out there. It is essential to have a good grasp of all these specialisations to become a well-rounded finance professional, which is what I hope to become at the end of the day. The EMFin is a melting pot of the industry’s best and brightest. I hope to be able to cross minds with these exceptional individuals and learn more about their specialisations from them.  

A quick note on the application process

My application experience to join the programme has been a positive one.

I found the application portal straightforward and easy to navigate. Shout out to the EMFin Recruitment and Admissions team for the constant updates and the huge assistance rendered. It made the entire process an extremely smooth one.

I understand from my references though that they were not expecting to have to write such a detailed recommendation, so please bear this in mind and account for it accordingly. However, this goes to show INSEAD’s rigour and the due diligence that is conducted as part of the entire process.