Reigniting a Passion for Marketing

For Natalie Kuan, hitting a career roadblock was the nudge she needed to head back to the classroom.

The Vice President of Marketing & Communication at Singapore Exchange recounts that she was searching for inspiration to reignite her passion in marketing communications when a friend introduced her to Singapore Management University’s (SMU) Masters in Communication Management (MCM).

“I liked that MCM offered a hybrid of finance and communication modules. This was important to me because as a marketing communications professional in the financial services sector, I required a strong foundation in finance and media to be effective at my job,” she says.

The MCM is South-East Asia’s only university degree in corporate communication, and part of the SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB). It grooms students to play strategic communication roles in organisations, and manage communication across cultures and various media platforms. The programme is conducted over a period of 15 months, with two study blocks on the SMU campus and a one-week overseas module.

As a marketer with more than a decade of experience in shaping global brands, Natalie appreciates that the programme provided opportunities to interact with top-notch professors and like-minded peers across SMU, Universita della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano and the UCLA Anderson School of Management. “The overseas stints provided a diverse world view of what practitioners across the world were grappling with,” says Natalie.

“In my current role, I often need to make decisions that span business, management and communication. MCM’s curriculum synergises these three areas succinctly, and helps me apply them effectively in the real world.”

In fact, the opportunity to gain first-hand, real-world perspectives is one of Natalie’s top takeaways from the programme.

“The MCM curriculum emphasised on research and fact-finding, project collaboration and in-class case discussions as opposed to essay writing and pre-class readings,” adds Natalie.

“This facilitated more effective critical thinking, teamwork and relationship building. There are also soft skills I have picked up through the MCM programme that complement my role, such as discipline in time management, multi-tasking and being adept to change.”

What Natalie found especially beneficial were the meaningful connections forged during the course.

“Some of my all-time favourite memories involve a road trip to Las Vegas, driving through the red arches of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, bonding over In and Out burgers and beer on the lawn of UCLA, and sharing mulled wine in Lugano during winter,” recalls Natalie.

“What I found refreshing was that everyone was willing to share their experiences unreservedly, and we would have healthy debates on topics ranging from societal issues to economics in class. Having an international mix of classmates and professors representing the three continents of Asia, US and Europe provided a well-rounded global perspective.”

Thanks to the MCM experience, she is convinced where her skillsets and passion now lie. “MCM helped affirm my commitment to marketing and gave me the right tools to sharpen my expertise.”

If like Natalie, you’re interested in playing a strategic communication role and managing communication across culture and media, you can find out more about the SMU Masters in Communication Management programme here.