Nigel Feng, HEC Paris MBA Class of 2023
Age: 31
Hometown: New York City & Taiwan
Undergraduate Institution and Major: New York University, B. Sc. in Hotel Management
Pre-MBA Work Experience (years, industry): 2.4 years leading streaming brand solutions at Hulu (acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 2019); 2.6 years spearheading global brand and product marketing for Flipboard; 2 years at Apple iAd in client solutions; 1 year at Condé Nast in ad sales.
Why did you make the decision to attend business school? Why now?
I spent most of my career in advertising sales and marketing within the technology sector, advising hundreds of clients from start-ups to Fortune 500 giants on running successful marketing campaigns on emerging platforms. While I am in a thriving industry with plenty of opportunities for growth and exposure, I have always been curious about client-side brand management, and I want to explore the world of product ownership – from concepting the next product launch to being the guardian of a brand, responsible for its performance and competitiveness in the global market.
After speaking with brand managers and product leaders across multiple disciplines, it became apparent that – coming from a hospitality background – I needed to strengthen my fundamental business knowledge, particularly in areas such as strategy, finance, and operations. I applied to HEC last year with the goal to strengthen my credentials and sharpen my leadership skills in preparation for becoming a global brand leader of tomorrow. HEC’s corporate relationships with global marketing leaders such as L’Oréal, LVMH, and Amazon were critical decision factors for me.
Why did you choose HEC? What factors figured most prominently into your decision of where to attend?
The biggest reason why I chose HEC was its diverse classroom experience. There are more than 50 countries represented in my intake and 95% of my class are international participants. During one of the lectures, a professor taught us that due to globalization and digitization, a critical advantage as a leader is to be receptive and aware of cultural nuances, social preferences, and individual values of the person sitting across from the table. I think it is interesting that whether I am walking down the halls of the student residences, sitting in the classrooms, or grabbing a beer at a social event, I get to interact with people from different parts of the world and hear their stories. For example, I learned through my Moldovan classmate that Moldova has the world’s largest wine cellar… and it is entirely underground! How cool is that? In my opinion, the HEC MBA Program is a mini-United Nations, and I cannot wait to learn more about the world through my cohort.
What do you think is your most valuable or differentiating contribution to the Class of 2023?
My most valuable contribution to the class would be sharing my career pivot journey to those who wish to do the same. Having studied and lived in New York for more than a decade granted me unparalleled access to amazing job and networking opportunities; in the past, I’ve worked in hospitality, luxury, media, and most recently in tech and entertainment. I was fortunate to have pivoted across multiple industries throughout my career and can give advice to those who are interested in the fields and companies that I’ve worked at. Though pivoting industries may seem challenging, it is totally doable. It takes knowing the right people at the right time, putting in the work and a bit of creativity. Fun fact: I got my last job at Hulu through an Instagram DM!
Tell us a fun fact that didn’t get included on your application:
Nigel is my nickname; my legal government name is actually Fourier, named after a famous French mathematician – Joseph Fourier. My father completed his doctoral dissertation on the Fourier Analysis the day before I was born, hence the name. Unfortunately, my electrical engineer parents did not pass any of their mathematical genes onto me. I consider myself a right-brained creative – the opposite of my parents and I love it!
Post-MBA career interests:
In the short- to mid-term, I hope to work in Europe at either a large-cap tech or global consumer goods company in brand or product marketing; I am also open to the idea of working at an early-stage series A or B startup in market expansion and partnerships. It is critical that I work at companies where I can personally stand by the products that I market and sell – this means products that are ethically sourced and beneficial to the environment and its users. In the long term, I hope to start a company and become my own boss.
Advice for Current Prospective Applicants:
– What is one thing you would absolutely do again as part of your application process?
The process of self-discovery and reflection. During my application process, I questioned everything in my life. The essay prompts may seem easy on the surface, but every single question was designed to explore a very deep and profound area about yourself. Through self-reflection, I gained a lot of clarity of what I liked and disliked about my life and my work, my personal strengths and weaknesses, and how I want to utilize all of this to enrich my MBA experience and post-MBA life.
– What is one thing you would change or do differently?
Taking the GMATs as early as possible. To be completely frank, standardized testing has never been a forte of mine and studying after working 9 years during the height of the pandemic lockdown was not a pleasant experience.
– What is one part you would have skipped if you could—and what helped you get through it?
The GMAT. Luckily, the world came to a halt in 2019 and it forced me to spend a lot of time with test prep books. I also had a few getaways from the city to change the scenery and clear my mind. Wine also helped.
What is your initial impression of the HEC students/culture/community?
I’m surrounded by a community who hails from very impressive backgrounds, life stories, and achievements at such a young age. On top of that, the HEC community is very inclusive; everyone I have met so far is very humble and willing to help each other out.
What is one thing you have learned about HEC that has surprised you?
The HEC reputation carries a lot of weight, especially in Europe. For example, Christine Lagarde, the President of the European Central Bank came on campus this week and spoke to the students about the Euro and the European Economy in today’s volatile world. For those who are looking to move to and work in Europe after their MBA, HEC is an ideal choice.
Has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your personal application or admissions process in any way? If so, how?
If anything, COVID-19 accelerated and confirmed my decision to attend business school. The AdCom team was very agile and quickly adopted everything online. HEC was very compassionate and accommodating to everyone’s unique situation.
What is one thing you are most anxious about in your first year?
Prioritizing. On top of schoolwork and Paris, there are so many events, social activities, and people to meet all happening on campus at the same time, the fear of missing out is real! During the first few weeks, I quickly learned that while it is important to socialize and network, it is equally important to emphasize downtime to recharge mentally and physically. Saying ‘no’ is certainly a skillset I need to work on!
What is one thing you are most excited about in your first year?
Getting to know more about my classmates in general. Every day I wake up so inspired and motivated by them. They challenge the way I think and do everything, I’m hoping to gain more perspectives throughout the school year. I also look forward to continuing my French lessons and taking advantage of everything Paris has to offer.
