The webinar link will be emailed to all successful registrants by
6:00PM on Wednesday, June 23, 2021

ABOUT THE EVENT
Have you ever thought about pursuing an MBA? Higher education can open many doors for your career and will either fast-track your development in your company or allow you to pivot into a completely new field - but is now the right time? What are the opportunity costs and risks that we rarely think about? An MBA will look great on a CV but how long after graduation will its perceived value last to recruiters? The Young Professionals Committee and the Education Committee have gathered diverse perspectives to provide insight on doing an MBA and to answer all your questions.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Jonathan Deforge
Head of Postgraduate and Professional Development
Prep Zone Academy
Jonathan has over ten years of experience in Business Education and has successfully coached and mentored over  500 MBA candidates. Before joining Prep Zone Academy, Jonathan began his career in Education for a leading business school overseeing their APAC corporate relations & MBA recruitment efforts. He was also the co-founder of scoutedby in an attempt to disrupt the MBA student recruitment industry, partnering with leading schools like INSEAD and HEC Paris. At Prep Zone he has worked with, mentored, and successfully helped 100s of diverse professionals secure admissions offers from prestigious MBA programs. With acceptance rate in M7 programs at ~40% and yearly offers at the top 10 MBA in the world, Jonathan has become one of the most renowned MBA coaches in APAC. His unique background and extensive network in many industries give him an edge when it comes to understanding his candidates’ profiles and the challenges they face.
 

Michael Kerr
Co-President
Ivey Alumni Association
Mike earned his MBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada in 2007 at the age of 40. Mike's decision to attend graduate business school came after a 15-plus year career as a programmer, project manager and systems conversion specialist largely in the banking and mortgage industries in Canada. A supporter of formal education and raised in an academically-focused family, today he struggles with the cost and value of university education. Mike is the Co-President of the Ivey Alumni Association in Hong Kong, a role he has held since 2018. Currently, with his partners, Mike is building a card-based SaaS product to help moderators and online hosts find, plan, structure and improve questions along with coordinating strategy and marketing activities at Gamatech Limited, a cybersecurity company focused on identity and access management.



Dimitrios Perdikoulis 
Head of Operations
Evolution Partners
Dimitrios Perdikoulis is the Head of Operations at Evolution Partners, a boutique management consulting firm that specializes in Financial Services. He is also the Founder of Embrace Your Process, a platform that focuses on personal/professional development and self-mastery. Originally from Greece, he has lived, studied and worked globally, spending fifteen years in sub-Saharan Africa, ten years in Europe and the last two and a half years in Asia. He speaks English, French, Portuguese & Greek, holds a  Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Amsterdam University College and a Master’s degree in International Conflict Studies from King’s College London.


ABOUT THE MODERATOR

Matthew Sears
Vice President, International
Higher Ground Education
Matt has over 10 years of experience in the education sector across Asia, having worked in a variety of positions across school operations, training and consulting, and tutoring and test prep.  As Vice President - International for Higher Ground Education, Matt works on the global Montessori education organization's international expansion and business development initiatives.  Matt is also actively involved in building the organization's network in Hong Kong, starting with our first two schools here, Guidepost Montessori Kennedy Town and Guidepost Montessori Chai Wan, both opened in 2020.   Prior to joining Higher Ground Education, Matt set up Seeds Training's Asia business entity, working with schools, corporations, and non-profits to develop and manage education programs for students, teachers, and parents.  Previously, he served as an educational consultant at The Nature Conservancy, one of the world’s largest environmental organizations, and ran the Hong Kong business for The Edge Learning Center, a startup private educational services provider.  Matt is the co-chair of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Education Committee and the chair of the Hong Kong International School Alumni Association.  Raised in Tokyo and Hong Kong, Matt holds a BA in History and East Asian Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and earned his MA in Asia-Pacific Studies from the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto.

Event Organizer

Cancellation Policy: Payment is non-refundable unless the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong cancels the event. If you are unable to attend, cancellations must be received in writing 72 hours prior to the event. No shows will be charged. Please note that places are limited and will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.