Kuang Yuan ('KY') Ler

When I heard INSEAD was launching a Master in Finance programme, right here in Singapore, it was a no-brainer! INSEAD has such a strong brand name in Asia and, after six years in wealth management, it was time to get some specialised finance training. I had worked in logistics and supply chain management for five years before going into finance, so I felt too old for a full-time MBA and maybe not quite ready for an Executive MBA. The Executive Master in Finance was the perfect fit and perfect timing for me. Better still, I’ll only be away from my family for the fourth module (which takes place in France) and I save a fortune on travel and accommodation.

INSEAD spares no expense in bringing its top professors in to teach us, even if it has to fly them in from Europe. All of the faculty have taught lots of executive programmes, so they know what is happening in the real corporate world and know exactly what we need to learn. I did my previous degrees at Berkeley and MIT, so I can vouch that INSEAD is in the highest global league for education.

So far, the programme has helped me to analyse financial statements and build valuation models with more rigour. The modules on trends and communications are even more applicable to my work. But the biggest impact is that it’s given me more visibility in the business. It’s no coincidence that I was recently promoted to become Head of Client Advisory at Citibank.

I haven’t hesitated to try and pitch the programme to my friends and colleagues in banking and to the CFOs in my network. For those who are in finance for the long term, it’s an easy sell.