“If you want to progress your career, you need to surround yourself by the people you aspire to become.”

Hungry for knowledge

“Mine was the first generation in my family not to experience war and poverty. I arrived in the UK at 16, without family or friends, to pursue an overseas education. I wanted the opportunity to learn and prove myself. My mind was open to the challenges of being the only Vietnamese person in the room and facing up to the linguistic and cultural obstacles this entailed."

“Even now, in 2019, I’m used to being outside my comfort zone. As Vice President in the EMEA Public Sector Group at Citigroup, I’m sometimes the only woman in the room in a sector that is still dominated by men in positions of leadership. Thriving and achieving success as a woman in today’s competitive and fast-paced world hinges on my ability to empower myself and to keep learning." 

“In a big organisation you need to find the resilience to stand up for yourself and your ideas, and to keep on learning every day.”

“I’ve always had a desire to learn. It’s what brought me to the UK in the first place, and it also brought me to London Business School (LBS) in 2013, when I secured sponsorship from Citi to pursue the full-time Masters in Finance. I was keen to accelerate my career – I wanted to build on a strong foundation in economics from my degree at LSE and consolidate the technical skills to move on and upwards."

“I was at a point of transition and LBS totally exceeded my expectations. The skills and knowledge I had were things I’d picked up on the job, but I needed a framework to really develop the kind of expertise in finance that would take me to the next stage in my career. LBS was a natural choice. First there was the London location, at the centre of this major finance hub, and the access to the School’s organisational ecosystem. Then there was
the School’s reputation for being the foremost business school in Europe – a reputation that in my experience is completely deserved."

“But it was the network that really stood out. I made some of my closest friendships among my classmates and faculty – even writing case studies with one of the professors. These are relationships that sustain me and continue to help me overcome challenges both professionally and personally. I’d say the network is the biggest thing I took away from LBS."

“The challenges facing anyone – man or woman – looking to excel in finance can be acute. Working life is fast-paced, competitive and the hours are long. For women particularly, the obstacles can be hard to overcome in juggling a family life with the kind of work and travel commitments that come with additional responsibility. My network has played a major role in boosting my confidence and empowering me to find my voice.”