USC Marshall School of Business

Hui Rong (Rommy) Dai is passionate about travel, and her interest has taken her around the world, from Australia to Monaco. So it was no surprise to her family and friends when she packed her bags and left her native Shanghai for a year of intensive study at USC Marshall.

Enrolling in the IBEAR MBA program proved a perfect fit for Rommy, who parlayed an undergraduate degree in investment and economics into a successful career in finance, but wanted to take her managerial skills to the next level. At Citibank China and UBS, Rommy had distinguished herself as a top performer in the field of wealth management, working her way up the ranks and winning recognition from key industry players. As her responsibilities increased, however, so, too, did the challenges; the IBEAR MBA provided the solution, expanding her knowledge, honing her abilities and enhancing her career development.

Rommy felt immediately welcome in IBEAR MBA’s international community. “I’ve always worked for multinational banks,” she says, “and my family is international, as well. So at Marshall, which has students with such different backgrounds, I fit right in.” The student diversity also contributed to a dynamic educational environment: “We all have such different experiences,” she says, “which means we can really learn from each other.”

For Rommy, one of the best things about her time in the IBEAR MBA program has been the practical, hands-on focus. The curriculum encourages students to “apply what we learn in school to real life,” she says. This helps them “see the bigger picture,” which is absolutely vital to success in a global economy.

With her MBA in hand, Rommy plans to return to Asia to explore new opportunities in China’s emerging market for private wealth management.