36 year old Yeong Jin Heo, from South Korea, is a dedicated and high-flying employee of global steel giant POSCO, which employs more than 19,000 people and whose turnover exceeds $650 million.

With a top-class Batchelor of Law degree from Seoul National University, and eight years' experience in POSCO's Corporate Strategy Planning Division, Yeong Jin also has a rack of awards to his name - he's a former POSCO 'Employee of the Year' and has also been presented with an 'Outstanding IT Skills Award' from the Korean Ministry of Information and Communication. In 2001, POSCO awarded him a fully-paid MBA scholarship as a reward for winning a company treatise competition.

Yeong Jin Heo outside
Leeds University Business School

 
"I already knew of the high reputation of Leeds University Business School before I applied," says Yeong Jin, "and one of the Korean alumni of this school strongly recommended that I could choose this university with confidence.

"I thought that the LUBS MBA programme would enhance my ability to think strategically and provide insight into the rapidly changing business environment. The programme definitely met my expectations - it has a very carefully designed curriculum enabling international students to customise the study subjects to their needs. Under the guidance of many excellent professors, I learned best practices in strategic planning and implementation by sharing information and experience with many people from other companies and countries."

A striking quality of Yeong Jin is his absolute focus on learning as much as possible - both personally and professionally - to facilitate his journey to the very top of POSCO's corporate ladder:

"POSCO is a highly globalised company with 39 branches all over the world. Foreign investors from nearly 40 countries have a 60% stake in the company. From a personal and company point of view, networking is a very important factor in business.

"I have been so lucky to meet many students from all over the world, all of them among the most excellent and promising students in their countries. Some of them have become precious friends. Apart from the possible business with them in the future, it is fantastic to know people with different cultures and backgrounds and share friendships with them from the opposite site of the world."

Yeong Jin worked hard to overcome the differences with studying and living the UK, and he found strong support from both his fellow country men and women through the University's Korean Society and from within LUBS itself.

"I had some difficulties in communicating with other students at first - especially with native speakers - and with understanding teaching methods and exams. But things got better as my language skills improved. I am very thankful to the staff: they are well aware of the difficulties that international students can face while living and studying here, both with language and practical issues. I felt they were always ready to listen and respond to our requests with sincerity."

"I enjoyed my time at LUBS. Leeds has both rural and urban characteristics. If you like an urban lifestyle - nights out, concerts and events - you can enjoy them fully in the city centre. If you are interested in travelling to the countryside, you can see the beautiful sights of the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District and the moors made famous in the books of the Brontë sisters.

"There is also another merit to staying in Leeds - there are many golf clubs around the city. Golf is part of the business culture in Korea, and if you are interested in playing and improving your game, you can make the most of it with easy access and low cost."

Since completing his MBA, Yeong Jin has returned to Korea to resume his position within POSCO as a strategic planner, although characteristically, he has his career sights set at the highest levels:

"The Leeds MBA is a stepping stone for my future career. It has provided me with the knowledge and skills required to become a leader in the company, together with an insight into the world economy. My time in Leeds has also given me unforgettable pleasant memories in the years to come."