Jessica Neoh Jie Qi, final year Chemical Engineering from The University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus , won the Maybank GO. Ahead. Challenge (MGAC) 2017 in the Global Champion team. After three selection stages, 60 Global Finalists representing more than 10 countries advanced from the very initial pool of 40,000 applicants and competed in the Global Finals held recently in Kuala Lumpur.
The winning team, Wonder Woman, comprised six students representing various universities from Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Singapore. The team won the grand cash prize of USD40,000 (RM171,038) with a ticket to the Global Maybank Apprentice Programme (GMAP), an award winning two-year management trainee programme.
The Maybank GO Ahead. Challenge (MGAC)
MGAC is an international case competition open to students and graduates from any study discipline. Themed “Take Over Tomorrow” this year, the competition hosted a range of debates, presentations, simulations, board games, and physical challenges to showcase the passion and potential of the participants. This year marks the sixth year of the Maybank GO Ahead Challenge.
Jessica explained the contest: “The challenge comprised four stages, including an online assessment, Campus level, National level and Global Finals. From the Campus level held at the University in April, eight UNMC students emerged as National Finalists, including Daniel Teoh Yong Liang, a final year Civil engineering student who was the Campus Champion, to battle through National level with participants selected individually from the other Campus Levels. Eventually 19 Global Finalists advanced from the National level in Malaysia, and I was one of them.”
“MGAC is definitely not a typical case competition to expect. Within the 10 days, we survived with our fictional business, raced across KL for station tasks and on-the-ground market survey, harvested paddies, rocked through deep sea fishing, fundraised by gaining miles at Bukit Bintang, and so much more,” said Jessica.
“It felt as if we have compressed years of life into mere 10 days. This challenge has taught me much about personal character and limits, as well as the importance of solid teamwork. I am very proud of my team, the first ever women’s team in MGAC, and I am grateful to everyone who has supported us along the journey. As a token appreciation I will be donating part of the win to the University,” she added.
The top winners were revealed at the MGAC Gala Dinner on 9 August. The Gala Dinner saw the presence of Maybank Group President & Chief Executive Officer Datuk Abdul Farid Alias, Maybank Group Chief Financial Officer Dato' Wan Amirul Feisal, Maybank Group Chief Human Capital Officer Nora Abd Manaf, Maybank Islamic Chief Executive Officer and Group Head of Islamic Banking Dato’ Mohamed Rafique Merican Mohd Wahiduddin Merican; Group Chief Technology Officer Mohd Suhail Amar Suresh Abdullah and Maybank Ageas Holdings CEO and Group Head of Takaful and Insurance Kamaluddin Ahmad. Senior representatives from top universities across Malaysia and other countries were also present at the event.
Image caption: (from left to right) Suhail Amar Suresh, Dato' Rafique Mohamed Merican, Vini Aliya Yusriya, Andrea Woo Zhiying, Jessica Neoh Jie Qi, Lavania Vijyakumar, Sorfina Qyrisha binti Sethw Hassan, Sheena Ann Keh Lorenzo, Datuk Abdul Farid Alias and Dato' Wan Amirul Feisal at the Gala Night.
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More information is available from Josephine Dionisappu, PR & Communications Manager at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus on josephine.dionisappu@nottingham.edu.my, +6 (03) 8924 8746
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Posted on 17th October 2017