Tom Young, President

Tom Young, President of an architecture firm in Hawaii"Look for a program that has the expertise you need. The unique program I attended combined the academic strengths of two schools and was just right for me."

 

 Education

  • MBA, Kellogg-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Executive MBA program, 2002
  • Master of Architecture, University of Pennsylvania, 1986
  • Bachelor of Arts in Modern European History, Cornell University, 1978

What I Do
President of an architecture firm specializing in hotel and resort design
Honolulu, Hawaii

My entire architecture career primarily has been as a designer and consultant, which requires a lot of up-front analysis before you actually start to design anything. Most architects don’t like to crunch numbers, but in reality, you must do zoning studies and “best use” studies for land or locations and determine the feasibility. Then, you can help a client with decisions about where to locate retail, living, and commercial space.

Words of Advice for This Career…
Operate with a business mind. For example, marketing is a very expensive venture in architecture; you are going after projects that often don’t pan out. Consequently, you need to always consider how to spend your time most profitably.

… And on Choosing an MBA Program
Look for a program that has the expertise you need. I wanted a program with a very strong marketing emphasis. What I needed and gained with an MBA was the ability to analyze things, look at the market, and develop services to fit the market needs. The unique program I attended combined the academic strengths of two schools and was just right for me.

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