Striking the right chord

Tommy Huang’s love for the piano has been a major influence in his life—it’s even how he met his bride to be: they both studied music at UBC. It’s also the reason he joined UVic’s Gustavson School of Business MBA program.

“I was at a major crossroads, trying to decide whether to pursue a doctorate in musical art or to look for something very different,” says Huang. “Business is such a versatile discipline, and I wished that I’d learned more of it as part of my earlier studies, so I decided on the MBA. It was a very scary decision though, because I didn’t have any business background.”

He credits former MBA Program Director Deborah Wickins, who was quick to respond to emails and answer all his questions, with helping him to choose Gustavson.

“I also got a lot of support from my classmates and professors,” says Huang. “They really encouraged me when I got down, and it is such a great environment. We’d feed off each other’s knowledge and experiences and became great friends.”

Huang’s feelings about his cohort are mutual. He received the new “Celebration of Joy Award” that was established in honour of Joy (Skelly) Steinke, based on the recommendations of his classmates. They spoke passionately about his kind and compassionate nature and his ability to listen without judging, which is exactly what the award was designed to recognize. The $500 prize comes with an additional $250 to be donated to a charity of choice, and Huang chose the Queen Alexandra Multidisciplinary Out-Patient Spasticity Clinic for two reasons.

Because he suffered from asthma as a youth, he has a soft spot for the medical community. His dad, a retired surgeon, gave up a thriving medical practice to move his family to Richmond, BC, from Taiwan to provide Huang with cleaner air and water. As well, Huang and three classmates worked with the clinic to develop a business plan for their graduating thesis project.

“I have a lot of respect for doctors and after working with this clinic, I wanted to recognize their dedication by helping out with this donation.”

Even though he’s finished his MBA program, Huang is now getting the credentials to become an investment adviser. His interest in the banking and financial community was piqued by his MBA program mentor and a summer position with RBC Dominion Securities.

“I really enjoyed the experience. I feel I will never be bored working in investments—learning something new every day really appeals to me—and I want it to be part of my future.”

When asked to share a piece of music that might reflect his MBA experience, Huang says the first thing that came to mind is the “Mephisto Waltz No.1” by Franz Liszt.

“This piece begins with a huge build up of suspense, with a nervous repetition of notes that resembles drums or a beating heart. The explosive beginning makes you wonder what's going to happen next. At the same time, the simple melodic and harmonic structure is demonstrated by a monster of technical difficulties. This is certainly music not for the faint of heart. The whole piece is approximately ten minutes long, but this whirlwind of music passes you by in an instant. And in the end, you will find you saying to yourself 'what a ride!'"

Just like the MBA Huang says, "there's a challenging academic side from classes and a heartwarming side from friends and families. “At the same time, the whole experience is over before you know it.”