Jinthip Prakobwit

“The best thing about being here is the community. That’s not just the students on the MiF – it’s the MBAs, the MFAs and the EMBAs. We always say that we’re a very diverse community of people because our backgrounds are so different, but as people we are fundamentally the same."

 

Jinthip Prakobwit was working in accounting when she fell in love with finance. “Finance keeps things moving in business”, she says. “The mechanisms are so interesting. It’s my ambition to be a CFO.” With a clear vision of where she wanted to be, Jinthip was keen to get a step up with a Masters degree, and was all set to leave a much-loved job to study full-time. On hearing her wish to leave in order to study, her boss and CEO offered her a sponsorship to make the move a career break, rather than an exit. Jinthip knew right away where to apply. “Many years ago I came to London, saw LBS and said ‘this is my school!’ When I was thinking of applying, I asked an LBS alumnus what he thought about it. He said ‘Apply! Just apply right now!’ So I did and a month after applying I got the offer. It was a fast process but I think that’s because it was the right time and the right decision.” 

Now at the beginning of her second term of the Masters in Finance, has London and LBS lived up to her expectations? “The best thing about being here is the community”, Jinthip says. “That’s not just the students on the MiF – it’s the MBAs, the MFAs and the EMBAs. We always say that we’re a very diverse community of people because our backgrounds are so different, but as people we are fundamentally the same. People are so open and enthusiastic. Because I’ve been in very competitive places, I notice a difference here. People are still competitive, but they’re not trying to do better than anyone, they’re trying to do the best for themselves. Everyone wants to share their best experiences.”

First terms at LBS are famous for their intensity. A new city, new people and a life-changing programme of study can be hard to juggle. But Jinthip has discovered that organisation is key to making the best of the multitude of opportunities for a new student. “Everyone’s time is so packed with networking, studying, meeting up with study groups, events, company visits and social outings. Prioritisation is the key that will get you going at school before anything else.”

The MiF itself has opened up new perspectives on Jinthip’s profession that were difficult for her to see on the job. Being from the corporate side of finance, meeting students from the banking side has illuminated a world that she could only observe from the side lines until now. She credits the Career Centre with bringing her the best LBS experience so far: “They had people do a survey about the industries and companies they’ve worked in already, and the industries and companies they want to work in now, and made a matrix to match people up. That was amazing. We each help each other out and help to make this the best experience of our lives. That’s what I like most about being here.”

As her first experience living away from home in Bangkok, London has been a learning curve. She even likes the Tube. “I love how you commute here! 24 hours is like 36 in Bangkok because the transport actually moves.” With talent, ambition, and a love for London transport, this girl is sure to go far.

5 years since graduation
 
Jinthip currently works at Central Group, a retail business in Thailand, as a Business Ventures Director – covering joint ventures management and strategy as well as Central Group’s new businesses. “Since graduating from the MiF, I have made my transition to investment banking then to investor relations and now to strategy. The MiF programme has had a great impact on my career and life, allowing me to widen my scope of work, stepping out of my comfort zone and taking on new roles as well as challenges."