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.”

Translating theory into action and impact

A highlight for Yo was the practical focus of Vlerick’s Executive MBA.

“I particularly liked the balance between solid frameworks and actionable approaches,” he says. “It felt very practical – and because most participants had substantial professional experience, discussions quickly went beyond theory into real decision-making. The online sessions were engaging and worked well for me while living abroad. And because we regularly met face-to-face, I was able to build genuine friendships with my course colleagues. So even when I was 10,000km away on Zoom, it didn’t feel like it.”

Yo also highly valued his consultancy project.

He says: “In terms of the programme structure, the Knowledge in Action Project stood out to me. Applying skills is the best way to synthesise what you learn and make it stick.

“It wasn’t easy, but that was the point. You bring all the pieces together into a single output under tight time constraints – it was challenging yet exciting. What made it even better was the energy of my teammates – their motivation really raised the bar for me.”

Shifting to a leadership perspective

Yo says his Executive MBA experience at Vlerick had both a personal and professional impact.

He says: “Doing a formal programme at this stage of my career was genuinely refreshing. Being back in an academic environment with like-minded peers gave me new perspectives – and space to reflect on my career, my priorities and how I want to grow as a person.

“On a professional level, the impact has been less of a single breakthrough and more like a new operating system. The effect isn’t always obvious, but I believe real impact shows up in subtle yet consistent ways.

“A clear shift for me is that I now look at work situations through a manager’s lens. Being a technical specialist and being a manager are very different – and an MBA helps you understand how organisations and people behave. I’ve changed how I interpret and interact with my professional environment. I’m more deliberate about stakeholder alignment and more thoughtful about how I communicate with teams and influence outcomes.”

Redefining success

For now, Yo plans to continue in finance – but he hopes to move into a more educational role in the future.

“I’m ready to share what I’ve learned, through mentoring, teaching or community-oriented initiatives,” he says. “One important shift after the MBA is how I define success. It’s not just about financial outcomes, it’s about contribution and how I can better support the people around me.

“I hope to continue to grow professionally – while gradually building a platform to give back through education. For me, an MBA is an experience that keeps paying dividends over time.”

Embracing challenging moments

So what advice does Yo have for future MBA participants? To be present and enjoy the experience – even when it feels intense.

“There are demanding moments and heavy workloads,” he says. “But that pressure is intentional – it’s how the programme accelerates your growth.

“Outside of an MBA, you rarely get the chance to step into such a diverse environment, work with people from different backgrounds and test yourself in a structured way. When it feels tough, remember that’s what you came for. You’ll look back and realise those challenging moments were also the most valuable.”