For most of my life, I measured success through achievement. I built businesses, mentored entrepreneurs and reached milestones others called inspiring. Yet somewhere between the meetings, targets and accolades, I began to feel a quiet longing, not for more, but for meaning.
I have worked since the age of fifteen, learning through experience rather than academia. Every decision came with risk, and every success with sacrifice. But after years of building ventures, I realized that growth without reflection can become routine. I wanted to rediscover not what I could achieve, but why I was doing it. That question eventually led me to The Asia School of Business.
Returning to study after years of professional life was both exhilarating and daunting. The decision came at a time when I was balancing motherhood, business, and community leadership. It demanded courage, but also humility. I reminded myself that learning does not end when success begins; it only deepens.
The moment I stepped into the Asia School of Business, something shifted. The energy was different. The conversations were alive with curiosity. I knew instantly that I was in a place that valued not just intelligence, but introspection. When I received the YTL Foundation Scholarship, it was more than financial support. It felt like validation that I was meant to be there.
What struck me most during my MBA journey was how learning became deeply personal. Professors at the Asia School of Business and MIT did not just teach frameworks, they challenged us to rethink how we lead, decide, and connect. Leadership, I learned, is not about standing above others, but beside them. It is the courage to listen, the discipline to pause, and the strength to admit when you do not have all the answers.
One of my most transformative experiences was the MIT Immersion. Being in a new environment surrounded by innovation and open thinking allowed me to step back and reflect. I realized that success is not about being the best in the room, but about creating space where others can thrive. Curiosity became my greatest teacher. It turned challenges into opportunities and failures into lessons.
Public speaking used to terrify me. As a leader, I often avoided stages and microphones. But at the Asia School of Business, communication was reframed not as performance, but as responsibility. I began to understand that expressing ideas clearly and authentically is an act of respect for the work, the audience and oneself. Through coaching and reflection, I gradually found my voice. Today, I use that voice to mentor women entrepreneurs and advocate for inclusive business practices.
Balancing motherhood and studies taught me another vital lesson. Strength is not doing everything alone. It is accepting help, embracing collaboration, and offering the same support in return. The friendships I formed with peers from across the world and regions including ASEAN, showed me that leadership transcends borders. The learning I gained showcased that Asia and many parts of the emerging world, are diverse, dynamic and resilient.
Asia School of Business’ students come from different countries, different disciplines, and different personal histories. The School brought us together in a way that no other institution could. One of ASB’s greatest strengths is that its programs do not operate in silos. Where else can you get graduate students in business administration and central banking, though distinct in what they teach, to intersect naturally through shared values, classroom culture, and a common purpose: to develop leaders who build systems that uplift their communities.
A fintech Malaysian entrepreneur, a Cameroonian legal and justice professional, and a Sierra Leonean central banker may never have crossed paths elsewhere. But at the Asia School of Business, we learned side-by-side, challenged each other, and discovered how our unique strengths could be combined for something larger than ourselves. We learnt to integrate, ideate and roll-out solutions by looking at things from vastly different perspectives.
The Asia School of Business has shaped us through rigorous systems thinking, fieldwork in emerging markets, action learning, MIT academic immersion and hands-on practice of solving real-world problems, whether for enterprise or economy. I have always believed that Malaysia’s true strength lies in its inclusivity. At the Asia School of Business, that belief was reinforced daily. In every class, discussion, and project, I saw how empathy and collaboration build better leaders and better societies.
Today, as CEO of the Center for Africa Financial Inclusion and Advancement (CAFIA), founder of Be Noor Capital and Be Noor Foundation, I carry those lessons forward. Be Noor means “Be the Light,” and it has become my guiding philosophy. Leadership, to me, is no longer about visibility. It is about helping others to see their worth, their potential and their purpose.
My journey at the Asia School of Business was not a detour; it was a rediscovery. It taught me that the most powerful leaders are those who lead with humanity, curiosity, and grace. As I continue mentoring and building, I no longer chase success. I seek meaning, and in doing so, I find fulfilment.
For more of the MBA, EMBA and Master in Central Banking, visit https://asb.edu.my/academic-program/