#181 Taking the Road Less Traveled with Tony DeGennaro, CUHK MBA ’17
“I learned so much lingo in business school. I feel like I can carry my way through a business conversation at any level now. I could be talking to stock traders, hedge funds, the marketing department of a MNC, and I have no problem with any of them.”
Most applicants get an MBA to step out of their comfort zones. But, what about pursuing your MBA and subsequent five-year marketing career in Hong Kong as an American?
Tony DeGennaro, who majored in Political Science and Philosophy at Rutgers, shares his winding journey to the CUHK MBA, one of the top-ranked business schools in Asia, to running a boutique marketing agency targeting Chinese consumers, to now working as a Digital Strategist for First Page Digital, an online marketing agency with offices in 9 countries. What has Tony learned from studying and working in Hong Kong?
Questions
- Tony’s background, pre-MBA goals, and reasons for applying to CUHK (3:45)
- Tony’s biggest challenge during the MBA (13:40)
- The two things Tony took away from his MBA experience (17:10)
- Can entrepreneurship be taught? (21:20)
- How Tony ended up running his own boutique marketing agency (22:10)
- Tony’s current role at First Page Digital (27:50)
- Tony’s thoughts on the future of digital marketing and the marketing industry in Hong Kong (29:50)
- Tony’s tips for landing a post-MBA job in a foreign country (33:30)
- Leading the Marketing Club at CUHK MBA (37:00)
- What Tony would have done differently (43:20)
- How Hong Kong has changed over the past 5 years (45:20)
- Tony’s final tips for applicants (50:00)
About Tony DeGennaro
Tony DeGennaro is an Enterprise Digital Strategist at First Page Digital. Previously, he was Director of Marketing and Business Development for Dragon Social, a boutique marketing agency in Hong Kong. Tony graduated from Rutgers with a Bachelors in Political Science and Philosophy, and worked in sales and as an English teacher before attending the CUHK MBA.
Show Notes
- Connect with Tony on LinkedIn
- Meet Tony at CUHK MBA’s Information Session & Alumni Sharing Webinar on August 25, 2021
- Get your profile assessed by CUHK MBA Admissions Team
- CUHK MBA