Samuel Lauras, Regional Project Manager
Samuel Lauras, Regional Project Manager, AXA Asia Pacific Holding Limited
Undergraduate Degree and Major:
Political Science
Graduate School(s) / Degree(s) / Year(s):
EPFL, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Master in Society Science and Technology, 2000
MBA, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2009
What are your responsibilities at work and how does your degree help you achieve them?
I am working as a project manager for eight different countries in Asia. I run the overall projects from the business case to the delivery. In this role, I am constantly interacting with different lines of business from finance to operation or IT.
My degree gave me the ability to be even more versatile—I’m able to understand the fundamental finance, corporate development, or strategic IT concepts and relate them to the business to provide the best, most effective project management path.
What do you enjoy most about what you do?
Life insurance in Asia is challenging and varies from one market to another. Working in this environment enables you to be more creative to start new ideas and processes. Even though I work for one of the world’s biggest insurers, it is refreshing to see that new ideas are welcomed. I report to senior management on a regular basis and, because of the cross-functional side of project management, I am involved with all aspects of our development in this dynamic region.
What do you enjoy least about what you do?
The flip side of this constant exposure and accountability is frequent reporting, which is tremendously time consuming. I also see it as a great opportunity to prioritize what is important and ensure nobody confuses project management with project reporting.
Why did you choose this career?
I loved my former job as a management consultant—I enjoyed the challenge and variety, the ability to run a different projects and the experience of coordinating different teams. I was always frustrated, however, to be involved in one part of these projects without overseeing the whole process; I almost felt guilty of “not completely finishing the job.”
As a project manager I still have the excitement, the ability to make a difference while interacting with senior management, but I have more at stake. I am responsible and I will most of the time be a customer of the project outcome when it is done. There is a much deeper accountability.
I chose this career in Asia as a logical step after my MBA, which focused on Asian business challenges and opportunities.
Why did you choose to get an MBA?
I launched some of the consulting activities of my former company. I launched business plans without really knowing how—the business cases I created could have been much more comprehensive. I soon realized that I was missing and needed some basic finance and accounting knowledge to be even more effective.
The MBA was a given once I realized I had reached some of my limitations and wanted to go further.
I did an MBA in Asia because the world has shifted and the economic growth and potential here is impressive. The MBA was a “risk-free” environment where I could work with a multicultural team—I can still run into cultural misunderstandings while keeping the friendship strong and networking opportunities in China and elsewhere.
What was your first job post-MBA?
I have worked at AXA Asia Life in HK, the regional Office for Asia (Japan excepted) since I left the MBA—I started as an MBA intern and was quickly hired afterwards.
What traits should someone have to be successful in your career?
In project management, especially while dealing with different departments, agendas, and countries, negotiation is important. The key is probably to have the ability to work on several projects while keeping a good understanding of all the interactions. The MBA in general is a great foundation for this cross-functional thinking.
Traits to be successful in an MBA program:
Being open is probably the most important trait, since you will be confronted by people from different backgrounds, with different aspirations and ways of thinking. Being open to you own career, as well—one day you may be willing to dig oil in the middle of the Sahara desert, and another day you will feel like being an investment banker of a product manger. You will also realize that your next job will be an aggregation of all these experiences.
What advice would you give someone considering an MBA?
I did my MBA full time in HK and I really enjoyed the fact that we all were completely dedicated to the learning and able to create a network in such a short time. I strongly recommend the full-time experience, especially if one is switching career trajectory or studying on another continent with the need to learn and comprehend a different working culture.
When considering MBA programs, what do you suggest prospective students look for?
Look for programs that offer diversity in teachers, as well as diversity in the classroom and out of the classroom. Some programs offer experiential learning (case competition, business cases, consulting experience) and give you the opportunity to do some hands-on exercises and really put into practice the skills you just learned. Business plan competitions are also a great starting point if you are into entrepreneurship.
