Technology leader based in Taipei, Taiwan working for Samba TV, a San Francisco-based technology company that creates TV viewership data. Our Taiwan team integrates automatic content recognition and AI capabilities at the chipset level, partnering with SoC manufacturers and TV OEMs.

Leveraging leadership from building 0 to 1 privacy-first AI products in the start-up space as well as enterprise-scale data processing infrastructure, machine learning platforms, and data privacy applications. My super powers are in connecting technology to larger strategic initiatives and partnering across borders and functional areas. I turn company visions into reality as a no-nonsense New Yorker.

I’m a graduate and ambassador of the UCLA-National University of Singapore’s joint EMBA where I learned from two globally connected public institutions with a West Coast start-up mentality and a digital transformation mindset in Southeast Asia. I also serve as an alumni mentor for UCLA Anderson and as a Member of the Board of Directors for the UC Davis Cal Aggie Alumni Association.

Bridging Technology and Leadership

Imagine being at an exciting crossroads in your career, working in Taipei for a US-based company during the uncertainty of COVID-19. Where can you find a program that fits your cross-cultural needs and develops your leadership adaptability? For Bessie Chu, the answer was the UCLA-NUS EMBA program. In 2021, Bessie, a technology leader at Samba TV, decided to join UCLA-NUS EMBA Intake 17. “I decided to do an EMBA to fill in gaps of knowledge that I’d be increasingly called on to have at my career stage,” Bessie shares. We talked to her to find out more about her career journey.

The Decision for an EMBA
Bessie reflects on her decision to pursue an EMBA over other programs: “At a certain life phase, the people you meet and the ideas you come across become fixed across the industry you work in and your network of relationships. It becomes limiting.” She knew a short course wouldn’t give her the needed depth or network. “At this point, it also didn’t make sense to do anything full-time, and I wanted to be peers around my age,” she adds.

The UCLA-NUS EMBA program had a significant impact on Bessie’s career. “I personally got a significant salary increase in the role I was in and a promotion when I graduated. About a year later, I got an offer to relocate to Taipei in a global product role. Both of those outcomes were directly a product of my education,” Bessie reveals. The dual degrees from two globally connected public institutions equipped her with a West Coast start-up mentality and a digital transformation mindset in Southeast Asia. Indeed, the step she took at her career crossroads has played out well. With these skills, Bessie is well-prepared to tackle future challenges and opportunities in her career journey. We are excited to see where she goes next.

Emotional Agility as a Leader
But first, we want to learn more about what she gained at UCLA-NUS.  She reveals that the program was crucial in shaping her leadership skills and mindset. “The biggest change in leadership skills and mindset is about gaining more emotional agility and a practice ground for contextual leadership,” she explains. She emphasizes the importance of emotional intelligence in leadership, especially when working internationally. “Where I see a lot of people go wrong, especially in my age group in tech, is those skills are underdeveloped and end up holding people back right when their hard skills are less valued.”

The global perspectives gained from the UCLA-NUS EMBA program were equally important for Bessie. “The curriculum is tailored to help leaders make better decisions across multiple areas,” she says. Understanding institutional conditions across markets and how to operate with both local culture and structural constraints in mind were crucial takeaways for her. “The most important takeaway is understanding institutional conditions across markets and how to operate with not just local culture in mind, but also considering structural constraints or advantages.” This emphasis on contextual leadership has equipped her to navigate diverse business environments and make informed decisions in her role.

Building an Irreplaceable Network in a Digital Age
Another part of the program that she highly appreciates? It’s the invaluable friendships and networks built during the program. “Lifelong friends and people to grow with. You are learning from your peers from all over the world. You can learn a lot of the class content on Coursera, but you can’t learn from the collective wisdom of your classmates. This is what you go to business school for,” Bessie notes.

Staying actively involved with the UCLA-NUS community has been essential for her. “My classmates are very much in each other’s lives. I’m also connected with the local geographic chapters of UCLA-NUS as well as the UCLA and NUS communities to expand my network,” she shares.

Furthermore, Bessie’s UCLA-NUS EMBA alumni network has been a significant professional asset. “There’s a lot of information you can’t get from looking on the internet and ChatGPT. You need experience and local knowledge, and this network has knowledge of both APAC and NA and beyond,” she explains. The network also provides strong connections that can lead to new opportunities, further enhancing her career. Wise words, indeed, from a technology leader!

Even with a strong support network, embarking on an EMBA program can feel daunting, especially for someone going back to school after years out of university. Bessie emphasizes the importance of having external support: “Make sure your family, anyone important in your life, and employer fully support you.” She acknowledges: “This was one of the most fun and most fulfilling experiences of probably my lifetime, but it was extremely challenging and overwhelming at times.”

Bessie offers thoughtful advice for those feeling stuck in their careers or unsure if an EMBA is right for them: “They need to understand why they are stuck and a strategy for getting unstuck. I’ve been very methodological and strategic on my educational investments and making sure I’m positioning myself for the move I want and the compensation I want.” She cautions against viewing education as a cure-all for feeling lost, suggesting instead to “talk to people who have career or life attributes that you admire and see how you can get there.”

Celebrating 20 Years
Reflecting on the program’s 20th anniversary, Bessie appreciates its unique value. “I do think any person who chooses to do a program straddling APAC and NA has more in common with each other in some cases than our work peers. There’s definitely what I call this ‘Asian International,’ with almost everyone having had formative Asian backgrounds and international work experience.”

Bessie sees the program continuing to evolve and stay relevant in today’s business landscape. “The focus on technology is a unique differentiator to the program and more relevant than ever versus many programs that focus on traditional areas such as finance, consulting, or marketing,” she notes. She believes that UCLA and NUS uniquely positioned the program to prepare leaders for the future. “The world needs more business leaders who understand how these different parts of the world can operate together for prosperity and create opportunity.” Congratulations to the UCLA-NUS EMBA program on 20 remarkable years! Here’s to many more years of developing successful leaders like Bessie.