One of Korea's major daily newspapers Donga Ilbo conducted an in-depth interview with our Chief Business Officer Gbemi Disu. Find out her story of becoming a global leader and what her vision is for Mason Korea.
What is your current role at George Mason University Korea?
I have had the pleasure of being part of Mason Korea since 2014, where I was part of the team that opened the campus. I then spent almost 2 years helping to set up the operations and ramp up our enrollment. I then returned back to the home campus in Fairfax where I helped set up the process to increase the number of Fairfax students studying abroad at Mason Korea, visited often and stayed involved through the Mason Korea Board. In 2018, I returned to Korea and took on the role of Chief Business Officer where I am responsible for all financial, operational, administrative and external relations functions for the University.
Can you tell us about your background?
I have had the opportunity to be educated on 3 continents – Africa, Europe and the United States. Nigeria’s education system mirrors that of the United Kingdom so I grew up with the British system and transitioned to the US system for my higher education. In general I found the British system requires students to decide and commit to an academic path fairly early on and there is not much flexibility in terms of the structure. Universities in the UK are also a year shorter than the US with many doing their A Levels prior to starting university. The rigor of the British system through secondary school also made the transition to college my freshman year fairly easy. Things do tend to equalize in terms of rigor as I continued on and challenged myself to take honors courses. In general, I believe the US education system allows more flexibility and creativity. Ensuring students take a balanced mix of humanities, sciences, communication, etc makes students better prepared to function in a multidisciplinary context. Even though I was studying International Business & Economics in college, I decided to minor in communications and political science which I found personally interesting. Even as a professional I have continued my efforts at lifelong learning and have completed several executive education programs/certificates at Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School and Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Professionally, I have also taken an eclectic route to where I am today. Throughout my career I had a brief stint working in the government with the Arizona State Legislature as well as for several global fortune 500 companies including Chevron Texaco and HSBC Bank. I then transitioned from the private sector to higher education. As a higher education administrator I have the opportunity to leverage my skills both inside and outside of the classroom. Interacting with students when I teaching my global business class is certainly a highlight of my job!
Growing up in Nigeria, did you always dream about being a global leader?
I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria which is very cosmopolitan place with over 20 mil people and the epicenter for global business with many multinational companies and expats. My father was also very involved in international business which took him (and sometimes the whole family) around the world so at a young age, my interest in both business and the world was piqued. I don’t think that the concept of being a global leader was fully formed in my brain as a child but I did always know that I wanted to live a life that enabled me to make a positive impact, learn about different cultures and travel the world. Looking back over the years, I have worked in a variety of industries, have traveled to over 100 countries and have developed both professional and personal networks globally, so I feel extremely blessed to have realized that dream.
At a relatively younger age, you have attained C-level status and responsible for major roles for the campus. What do you think was the significant factors that contributed to your success?
Firstly, I will say that I believe success is relative and for me it is an ever evolving target which I evaluate often based on my professional and personal goals. In Business Schools, we like frame works so I will use the 3C’s to describe my approach to getting to the C-Suite – namely Competence, Consistency and Courage.
Competence: Having a foundational set of marketable skills is essential. I continuously find ways to learn new things and improve on my existing set of skills. Having this competence gives you the confidence needed to excel at your job. Consistency: One of my favorite supervisors in the past who I worked with for over a decade came up with the acronym GSD which means “Get Stuff Done”. Over the time we worked together, I was consistent in my approach and in delivering high impact results. This consistency builds trust and opens up opportunities that may otherwise have not been presented to me. Finally, Courage: Having the courage to take calculated risks at certain points in my career certainly paid off. This wasn’t done in an absence of fear, I am very much the type of personality that tries to avoid failure where possible but rather than be hindered by that fear, I tend to embrace it and rely on the fact that I know I will work hard and learn as much as I can to tackle anything new that comes my way. In addition to these 3C’s I like to think that the surprise element of “Luck” comes into play in my life which I was able to leverage because I was always willing to work hard and be prepared.
Did you face any challenges as a female?
I think there are very few females in the world who have made it through their professional careers without encountering some degree of challenges. As the data shows women are still grossly under represented at the helm of many global companies and many women are still underpaid for performing the same tasks as their male counterparts across the world. Occasionally, the data becomes discouraging and I personally have experienced several instances where I have to work twice as hard than my male colleagues which was frustrating but I am also a pragmatist and focus my energy instead on how I can make a difference in my own sphere of control. So to support and encourage other women, I do my best to lend a hand up. I frequently mentor young women through university programs, I organize an early career women’s luncheon at my organization and often coach women on how to negotiate their employment contracts. Even as a woman, my challenges are not the same as other women so it’s important for everyone to take a nuanced approach and find coping mechanisms that enable them to be successful in their own context. I particularly found it helpful as I moved up in my career to identify a champions and not just mentors. Champions can be male or female but are allies who have your best interest but also have the means to make a positive change for you in the organization. It is not enough to just have a mentor as a woman who can listen and comfort you but to know someone who can mobilize resources as appropriate when needed. These champions have helped me overcome some of the challenges I encountered being a female in mostly male dominated industries.
How was your experience working here at Korea since the opening of the campus?
Working in Korea has been quite the adventure especially opening up a new campus in a newly developed city. There were certainly challenging moments but as I look back over the years, I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. I had visited Korea in the past as a tourist but actually living and working gave me a deeper insight into the culture and people. Korea’s “pali pali” culture is quite in line with my work style and so I enjoy how fast things can move when they need to. Personally, I have made incredible friends whom I continue to learn more about the culture from and have now become a big fan of K-Dramas in my down time J. There are many aspects of Korean culture that remind me very much of Nigeria which I explain to my colleagues. Both cultures place a high value on education, emphasize respect for elders, prioritize family values and connection and have rich, vibrant cultures and traditions. I also feel extremely safe in Korea, especially Songdo and enjoy exploring the various parts of the country.
What is your perception of education in Korea?
Korea is remarkable in that very quickly as a nation, it realized the importance of education and the transformative power it has for its citizens and economy. The country has invested greatly in this area and spends quite a significant portion of its GDP on education as compared to many other developed countries. I have heard many say that in Korea, educators are just as revered as doctors! This hyper focus on education certainly has both positives and negatives. The key for all countries is to strive for an appropriate balance. For education to sustain its transformational qualities, it is important that it stays dynamic and keeps up with the times. There shouldn’t be an obsession with just gathering degrees or getting into the most elite schools, ultimately it is up to students to grow where they are planted. Sometimes those with the right aptitude and attitude end up being just as, if not more, successful than those that seemingly have the “perfect profile.” In my opinion, the right system will challenge students to think creatively, be adaptable, develop analytical skills and prioritize ethics and integrity in their decision making. As we navigate the 4th industrial revolution, it becomes clear that the work force has to be more than highly educated graduates who just execute when told what to do, machine learning/AI will likely replace many tasks in the future. The ability to add value in ways that cannot easily be automated and honing the skills that allow people to solve complex global problems will be essential. Students need to start that learning those skills early and consistently.
What are the strength of George Mason and its Korea campus? (What kind of future leaders are you, or George Mason University Korea aiming to produce?)
George Mason University is quite a remarkable institution that in just a few decades since it was created has grown to be a remarkable story of progress and excellence. With over 38,000 students from 130 countries, five locations and 9 schools/colleges, the University certainly has many strengths including its proximity to Washington DC which is the hub of business, politics and culture, its high quality academic programs and being one of the youngest universities to be classified as a Tier 1 Research Institution and so on, My favorite strengths about the institution is the fact that it is a mission driven organization that truly embraces the idea of being one community, it celebrates diversity and ensures that all students no matter their background have equal opportunity to succeed. This notion of “access to excellence” enables us to deliver on our commitment to create a more just, free and prosperous world. Our students embody an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit that enables them to achieve career success upon graduation and keep Mason Nation a strong and thriving community.
Our Korea campus which has the same values allows us to further achieve our goals and be more accessible to many more students here in the region. All graduates regardless of what campus they graduate not only get the same degree but also go into the world as engaged citizens and well-rounded scholars who are prepared to act in the best interest of society.
What are the skills and capabilities that students need to be equipped with in order to be successful in the global market and environment?
Today’s environment requires those with a global mindset that possess high levels of social, intellectual and psychological capital. These will enhance their ability to act as bridge builders who can connect resources and talent across cultural boundaries in an effort to create value. Social capital refers to their ability to develop strong, high quality networks, intellectual capital refers to their ability to stay curious and gain new knowledge often, psychological capital refers to their ability to engage and learn from people with different cultures and backgrounds. I am proud to say that many of our students graduate with these skills and I can think of many examples who have graduated and started their careers at global companies or continued on to their graduate education.
* Please check the full interview on Donga Ilbo in Korean here.
April 23, 2020
