Building a career network for life
A consultant with a background in psychology, Joyce Ip had always excelled at communications. But to progress at her firm she knew she needed to master business strategy.
Since pursuing a Part-time MBA (now known as the Professional MBA) at UBC Sauder, Joyce has become a partner at her consultancy firm specializing in risk management.
“Being able to provide clients with solutions for when something impacts their business – whether it’s a flood, fire or a cyber-attack – and ensuring their most critical services continue to function; that’s what I love about my work,” she says.
A quick look at the UBC PMBA
- The UBC PMBA is a 24-month program that has been built to fit around a full-time work schedule.
- The program typically starts in January with classes every two to three weekends.
- 90% of UBC PMBA graduates in 2021 enhanced their career through promotion or career change.
Meet Joyce Ip
In an industry like Joyce’s, the day-to-day is understandably varied. Likewise, so are the teams she works with.
“One day I could be meeting with the accounting manager followed by the HR manager followed by the operations manager. UBC Sauder prepared me to speak everyone’s language and understand what’s important to their diverse roles.”
Not only did Joyce, who served as class president, gain this from her classwork, but also from her classmates.
“I didn’t come from a business background, so I knew I’d have to work three times harder just to get to the same level as my peers,” she says. “On day one I was sitting beside someone in finance and in front of someone in banking and I turned to them and said ‘I have no idea what’s going on, can you help me out?’ They didn’t even flinch. They sat with me during the break and helped me out.”
Over the course of the program, Joyce’s relationships with her classmates strengthened even further.
"Having a cohort from such a diverse background brought an additional layer to the theory we were learning in the classroom"
To this day, Joyce’s alumni peers are an invaluable resource for her – offering her support when their expertise is needed, recruiting her for projects when her expertise is needed.
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