February 3, 2010

Philip Dao came to IMD and learned he had more to give.

Today the 2007 IMD MBA alumnus is living a more ambitious, giving and courageous life. He credits IMD for giving him both the awareness and the tools to effectively take on that challenge.

Dao, who holds both US and Vietnamese citizenships, came to IMD as an accomplished scientist from the world of vaccine technology development. “I realized I had fairly good business sense and strategic thinking,” he says. “But I did not have the formal business training that would help me do bigger things for science.”

He was certain about how he wanted to achieve that: “I came to IMD with a very clear goal of doing business development and licensing in pharmaceuticals after graduation.”

But one day in class, an IMD professor said something that prompted Dao to change his career goal. The professor reminded the class that their world-class education was a privilege, one that would open doors. But that privilege came with the responsibility to make a positive impact on the business world and the community.

“I took that to heart,” says Dao. Rather than taking a Europe-based corporate job in business development and licensing, he opted for a position on the operational side with Johnson & Johnson in Vietnam, where he could make a bigger positive impact — now, not later.

In a short time he has achieved results, meeting stretched targets despite the challenging business environment of the past year. He was recently promoted to Country Director for Johnson & Johnson Medical Vietnam and ASEAN Franchise Director for the Advanced Sterilization Products Franchise in Johnson & Johnson Medical ASEAN.

He credits his success to the combination of his previous experience in medical science and the skills gained at IMD in leadership, strategic thinking, ethics, commitment to corporate social responsibility and self-awareness.

He says MBA hopefuls should ask themselves honestly what they want in life and how an MBA will get them there. More importantly, they should think about how to use the opportunities afforded them to contribute to their family, community and society at large. He himself is living this philosophy.

“I'm passionate about healthcare and always have been,” he says. “In Vietnam, I can indirectly touch the lives of patients and make a big difference in the way they receive healthcare. But this is not an easy job and I made a lot of sacrifices to be here in Vietnam. I could have taken a cushier corporate job in Europe or Singapore but I would have been living a ‘deferred life plan’.”

Philip Dao is organizing a reunion this year in Bangkok, Thailand, for the 2007 MBA class as well as other alumni based in South East Asia.