Alumni Stories of Success
Vinh Gia Vu
MBA 2006
Head of Client Coverage, Maybank Vietnam
After graduating from Hitotsubashi ICS in 2006, I wanted to build my career in Vietnam in a role that would give me broad exposure across industries. Investment banking proved to be a great fit. At Nomura, I worked on M&A transactions that helped foreign strategic investors enter Vietnam, gaining a close view of companies, industries, and growth opportunities.
Later, as Head of Investment Banking in Vietnam at Maybank Securities, I built local teams in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and introduced new product offerings to the market. Today, as Head of Client Coverage at Maybank Vietnam, I work across Global Banking to support regional companies entering Vietnam and Vietnamese corporates growing at home and abroad. Throughout my career, the focus has remained consistent: helping businesses identify opportunities and secure the strategic and financial support needed for growth.
Myra Basic
MBA 2006
Product Manager, Renewable Energy & Sustainability, BlueScope
Inspired by her time at ICS Hitotsubashi, Myra transitioned into a career defined by innovation and impact. The Innovation and Strategy courses, combined with the immersive experience of studying in Japan and the global ICS network, sparked her passion for transformative thinking.
After ICS, she became an Innovation Manager, delivering international award-winning solutions in aged care and property development.
Today, Myra is applying these same innovation and strategy skills to sustainability at BlueScope, Australia’s leading steel manufacturer. Her work focuses on renewable energy, climate action, and social impact initiatives that aim to create a more sustainable future. Myra credits ICS for equipping her with the strategic mindset, global perspective, and innovation capabilities that continue to guide her journey and drive meaningful change.
Yuko Koshiishi
MBA 2010
SVP, Suntory Europe Limited
I began my career in marketing at the Japanese beverage company Suntory, where I spent 10 years before joining ICS. At ICS, I not only strengthened my fundamental business skills and gained a holistic management perspective, but also developed a deeper understanding of how business and society are interconnected. The concept of “Best of Two Worlds” also made me more aware of the uniqueness of Japanese corporate culture—insights that became the foundation of my post-ICS career.
After ICS, I returned to Suntory and contributed to international business development, including the integration of Beam Inc., one of the largest cross-border M&A transactions by a Japanese beverage company. I later transitioned to corporate communications in the U.S., working in New York and Chicago, and then moved into Group sustainability. In both roles, my awareness of cross-cultural business dynamics has been essential. Now based in London, I can confidently say that ICS was a pivotal turning point in my career.
Khoi Nguyen
MBA 2014
Co-founder & CEO, WeCare 247
"Care is not just a service - it's the foundation of resilient communities."
After his MBA, Khoi returned to Vietnam with a mission: to bring dignity and compassion to elder care. In 2017, he co-founded WeCare 247, a social enterprise that provides home-based care and professional training for caregivers.
Today, WeCare 247 has reached over 40,000 patients and families, while uplifting thousands of caregivers - many from marginalized backgrounds - through meaningful employment. Under his leadership, the company successfully convinced Mynavi Corporation and other Japan-based enterprises to join on board, together to create shared values. Beyond service delivery, Khoi is advocating for a cultural shift : redefining how society values aging, caregiving, and inclusive growth in one of Asia's fastest-aging countries.
Wissarut Samutpanich
MBA 2024
Business Development, Starfish Group
Before ICS, I had spent five years working in the corporate world and had reached a crossroads. My family runs a seafood business in Thailand, and I knew I wanted to return home and take responsibility for our ready-to-eat processed seafood business. Japan has always been an important market for us, but I did not speak Japanese and knew little about the country. Studying there never felt like a real possibility until I learned about ICS.
I came to ICS with that post-graduation goal in mind. Through classes, company visits, and everyday life in Japan, I was constantly thinking about new products, ideas, and possibilities that might work back home.
Nearly a year after returning to Thailand, I am putting those ideas into practice. I am developing new products, building a new brand, showcasing it at exhibitions, and improving manufacturing lines in our existing business. It is still early, but ICS and my experience in Japan gave me the preparation and inspiration to pursue this path.
Angeline Tan
MBA 2024
General Manager, Range Pharma Sdn Bhd
Before my MBA, I worked in tech, a fast paced world quite different from where I would eventually land. Today, I am part of my in laws’ family business, Range Pharma, a livestock pharmaceutical company with a 42 year history.
I joined the family business with the ambition to build something new. Pet ownership was rising rapidly, and I saw an opportunity to create a new business for pet owners within a company that had spent more than four decades serving the livestock industry. Almost everything we had built, from R&D and production to our technical relationships, had been designed for livestock, so pursuing this opportunity meant creating new capabilities from the ground up.
Since returning, I have spent months visiting veterinary clinics and speaking directly with pet owners. From those insights, we have built two B2C pet brands, one through veterinarians and another direct to consumers, and established a dedicated veterinary sales team to bridge technical credibility with consumer reach. It is still early days, but the business is taking shape.
