Learning beyond the classroom: How the MSM Mentorship program helped Full-time MBA students Steven van Wyk and Lili Zhang
Learning beyond the classroom: How the MSM Mentorship programme helped Steven van Wyk shape his post-MBA direction
For Full-time MBA alumnus Steven van Wyk and his mentor Mihaela Popescu, the mentorship journey became a powerful exercise in clarity, reflection, and intentional career design.
Steven entered the Full-time MBA with a clear ambition: to strengthen his strategic capabilities and deepen his work at the intersection of digital transformation, marketing, and AI through his consultancy firm, The Strategic Aim. MSM’s applied approach, international orientation, and focus on emerging markets matched both his background and his long-term goals.
Alongside the academic journey, he chose to join the Mentorship programme for a very specific reason: perspective.
Read the full blog of Full-time MBA student Steven van Wyk.
Learning beyond the classroom: How the MSM Mentorship programme shaped Lili Zhang’s MBA journey
Lili joined the Full-time MBA at MSM at a pivotal moment in her career. With prior experience in banking, she felt ready to step beyond a purely functional role and gain a broader, more strategic business perspective, particularly within a Western, and internationally and academically rigorous oriented environment.
The Mentorship Programme quickly stood out as a way to accelerate that transition. Being matched with Jean Bonnet, a trade finance expert with over three decades of experience in international wholesale banking, created an immediate sense of alignment. Coming from the same industry meant conversations could go deeper and faster, covering not only technical expertise, but also career strategy, professional mindset, and long-term positioning.
