An Executive MBA from Vlerick gave Yo a new mental “operating system”

With more than 15 years’ experience in investment advisory and wealth management, Yo Kimura was ready for a new challenge. From his base in Singapore, he found the combination of Vlerick’s European outlook, immersive experience and practical application deeply inspiring.

“I’ve always had professional and personal ties to Europe – and travelled there regularly,” says Yo. “But during the pandemic, I wasn’t able to. So when the world opened back up, I decided to reconnect with Europe in a meaningful way. I’d been considering an MBA or Masters – and an Executive MBA had the structure I was looking for.

“Belgium has a strong sense of cultural identity – but at the same time, it’s multilingual and international. And at Vlerick, almost half of the faculty is international and there is a significant proportion of international students. That balance really appealed to me.”

On top of this, the blended format of our European Executive MBA – now our expanded Global Executive MBA – allowed Yo to study at Vlerick while continuing to live and work in Asia. He started the programme in 2024.

The best of both worlds

Our Global Executive MBA combines online learning with intensive international trips to business hubs around the world. And this format worked perfectly for Yo – giving him opportunities to meet fellow participants in person, and experience business in different international settings.

“It's one thing to read a case. It's another to observe how people actually work and make choices on the ground,” he says. “Being able to study and work on site helped me understand what was happening in business. First-hand experience of visiting companies in different cities and seeing how they operate – especially in industries far from my own – was so valuable.

“The online modules, trips, on-site modules and projects all worked well together. And the courses were extremely well designed and consistently high quality.”

Pursuing an MBA while working is a big commitment, of course, and Yo says it’s important to prioritise.

“One of the challenges of a blended, part-time programme is time management,” he says. “Taking on an MBA while working full time and showing up for family responsibilities means your calendar gets crowded quickly. I realised early on that I had to be intentional about where I invested my energy. Support from people around me was critical – I’m grateful to my family and colleagues for their encouragement and understanding.”