Moeko Kabuta

Could you share something unexpected or a fun fact about you?

My unique experience is that I come to INSEAD with my three-year-old daughter, while my husband stays in Japan. I think I'm the only student in my class in this situation. 

However, I am relishing my unique situation by receiving support from INSEAD and the Singapore welfare system, including a live-in helper. I'm fully committed to being both a student and a mother, and I'm enjoying the diverse experiences in Singapore.

Another fun fact about me is that I'm an amateur playwright who won an award from a playwriting competition in Japan. I'm fascinated by people and their different perspectives, and I love to articulate them in stories. 

Tell us about yourself, and how you got to where you are today?

I have lived in Japan for more than 20 years. I graduated from a Japanese university, joined a traditional Japanese marketing agency and moved to Google Japan. I love Japan. I still do. The people are so nice and polite. 

At the same time, before I came to INSEAD, I always wanted to broaden my perspective. 

I wanted to be exposed to completely different ways of thinking and be surprised. 

To get that inspiration, I always thought about studying abroad, which I never had the chance to do. 

What motivated you to choose the INSEAD MBA, and how do you envision it aligning with your future goals?

I want to be a future marketing leader in Asia Pacific who can drive business through marketing. I want to build my network, especially in Asia Pacific and experience different people from all over the world. 

I also want to be a person who can inspire the next generations to believe that parents can do anything. I have seen many amazing and talented parents who have given up their careers to look after their children. I have met many Japanese mothers who want to do an MBA but think it is impossible. I wanted to change that. I want to challenge myself and society that parents have great power, and there is nothing that can stop them, and I found INSEAD, which offered all the things I was looking for. 

What are your impressions of campus life so far and how did you navigate accommodation, and sorting out all the admin? Any tips for incoming students?

Setting up campus life in Singapore is super smooth. Everything is digitalized, and the process is very clear. Alumni also provided a lot of local information, which helped me find accommodation and live-in helpers. 

In addition, the INSEAD staff were very helpful in advising me on the visa process. Of course, starting a new life in a new country with a child is difficult, but there was always help when something was unclear.

Could you share a little about your application process and securing financing?

The application process was very clear. First, I attended an event held in Tokyo to understand the application process. Then I prepared my essays and letters of recommendation. I am self-sponsored, and I received the INSEAD women's scholarship. I prepared additional essays on how I want to contribute to breaking the glass ceiling of women and how parents can thrive in their careers through my INSEAD experience. 

The INSEAD admissions team was very flexible and responsive. 

Whenever I had questions, I contacted them, and they gave me a clear process on how to proceed.

You are starting your INSEAD MBA in Singapore. Are you planning any campus exchanges?

I will not be changing campuses and will stay in Singapore for the whole period. 

There are two reasons for this. One is that I want to develop my career in the Asia-Pacific region. I am very interested in how countries in the Asia-Pacific region can connect and cooperate more to enrich cultures and increase prosperity. I want to build my Asia Pacific network as a foundation for my career. 

The other reason is my family. Singapore is very nice for children. I can go to any restaurant with my child, and I enjoy my social life while enjoying my family life. The country is very safe, and there are also live-in helpers who can support me in my daily life. I am so satisfied with life in Singapore, and I am happy to stay in Singapore for a whole turn and expand my network.

In your first few weeks, what aspects of the INSEAD MBA have stood out to you as unique or particularly appealing?

The students and the staff at INSEAD are so inclusive. I feel that everyone cares for and loves my daughter. I often bring my daughter to the campus, and everyone stops to say hello to my daughter. We also had my daughter's birthday party at the INSEAD Singapore campus, and many friends helped me decorate and celebrate. It was such a heartwarming moment for me, and I felt that I had made the right decision.

I feel that INSEAD is very committed to developing a talent that can lead people in ambiguous situations. Of course, we learn about academics, such as financial accounting evaluation statistics, but we are also deeply committed to learning about what leadership is. 

For example, there is a course called Personal Development Programme (PLDP) where the students are grouped into several members and stay in a decision-making situation that is very limited in time. They are tasked to solve difficult problems. The interesting point is that the aim is not to solve the problem successfully but to understand each of us' leadership styles. 

Our actions are recorded on video, and we discuss our behaviours with each other. We practice giving constructive feedback about ourselves and others to gain insight and solidify each of us leadership styles. 

This experience was an eye-opener for me. I had always thought that there were external formulas for leadership. But there weren't. The answer to your leadership style is always within you. INSEAD promotes not only knowledge, but also mindset.

Aside from your academic pursuits, what extracurricular interests or activities are you exploring at INSEAD, and how do you see them enhancing your overall MBA experience?

My extracurricular interest is the Women in Business Club. The purpose of this club is to promote and empower women at INSEAD. There are many events where women can share information and network. 

I came to INSEAD to empower parents, especially working mothers. 

This club activity is a good foundation where I can find people who have the same mission and also influence future women leaders at INSEAD.

Also, what I personally do as a hobby and to challenge myself is to talk to a new person every day - inside or outside of INSEAD. If you keep on talking to new people every day, you can get an amazing network. At INSEAD, there are a lot of different people from different backgrounds. I am very interested in their personality and how they grew up. To understand everyone as much as possible, I always arrange coffee chats to ask questions and share information.  

Also, I ask friends to introduce their friends, and I reach out to INSEAD alumni through LinkedIn. People related to INSEAD are so nice and I have never been refused to talk to them. People are so open and curious. If I offer a casual chat, they appreciate it. We like to share,e and we like to take. I love this foundation and openness of communication, and I have made a lot of great friends here through this personal activity.

Any parting words of wisdom, and are you willing to be contacted for more information by prospective students?

When I make a big decision, I always ask myself, if I hadn't done this, would I regret it when I die? If the answer is yes, then do it. Do not give up pursuing it. When my daughter was born, I asked myself the above question. And my answer was yes. That is why I did not give up on doing an MBA by bringing my daughter without my husband. I'm happy to be contacted for more information.