Page 7 - Berita Sunway - Issue 68

Elizabeth lists the Victoria University MBA programme
offered at Sunway as an example of offering flexibility in WOMAN AT THE TOP
education since more than 15 years ago.
“For the longest time I have believed that one should be able Was it challenging to juggle a demanding career with her role as
to study for a degree bit by bit. Our Victoria University wife and mother to her three daughters growing up? Elizabeth said
MBA programme offered at Sunway was launched many she made it a point to never miss any major event of her children’s
years ago to offer working adults the chance to complete the growing up years such as school concert performances, and she
whole master’s degree in modular phases,” she said, adding, travelled less for work when the children were younger. “They need
“Nowadays, they call it micro-credentials.”
to feel you are a part of their major milestone-moments,” she said.
As part of her job involved entertaining business partners, HEROES OF SUNWAY
Elizabeth would host them at her house to expose her children at
a young age to be part of mum’s official life. “It helped to actually
foster closer working relationships with some partners too.” Keen
to give her young children the best while working saw her doing
teleconference calls in private while expressing breastmilk for her
babies, in the workplace.
Sunway has also been striving to improve their online “I believe it is much easier today as corporations are a lot more
capabilities to support students’ learning, especially as conscious of supporting women at work. Back then, nursing rooms
contingency measures in facing recent public health were non-existent! Women are given more flexibility too these
hazards such as COVID-19 and haze. days. But it ultimately comes back to the person herself. You have
Sunway Education Group’s partnership with French-based to be creative and make do with what you have. You have to be
École 42 — a teacher-less coding school — to open the first determined to find a way and believe when there’s a will there’s a
École 42 campus in Malaysia is a nod to the education of the way. If a man can be a father and work at the same time, why can’t
future. Established in Paris in 2013, École 42 now has 23 a woman?” she said.
partner schools globally and is the first digital training centre However, Elizabeth is quick to credit her husband, her parents, in-
that is tuition-free and open to 18-year-old students with or laws and her domestic helpers for her success as a full-time working
without academic qualifications. Students will be selected mother. “You must establish a support system. I depended on people
based on an online aptitude test, followed by a month-long
project challenge. Teaching methods are based on peer- I could trust and who were supportive of me. My husband worked
to-peer learning without the aid of teachers and classes, from home when my youngest was born. My parents helped greatly
allowing students to learn creatively through projects. The with baby-sitting and in-laws would help pick-up my kids from BERITA SUNWAY | APR—JUN 2020
42 KL campus is set to launch in Sunway in September, with school when needed. Marissa, my domestic helper has been with my
the first assessment slated for December this year. family for 25 years, is like family to me — she runs my household!”
“The whole idea is to ensure that future generations are not Elizabeth said she did not encounter gender discrimination at work,
disadvantaged. I love the idea that we don’t need or at least, she never allowed herself to think that way. “Men and
BERITA SUNWAY | APR—JUN 2020
to have pre-requisite qualifications to women need to learn how to work together, not threaten each other.
pursue education. People develop at Nobody would want to work with someone who constantly fights
different stages of their lives. Every you. I stand for gender equality as I believe men and women bring
person should have the right to be different strengths to the workplace,” she said.
educated,” said Elizabeth.

The mark of a LEADER

In every workplace, there will be people who are difficult to get along with but the key is to be
constructive about it, she said. “We need to inspect ourselves - is there something that I need
to change about myself to improve at my work? What does another colleague have that I lack or
what can I bring to the table that others can’t? Have a chat with your boss and ask about what
you can do to learn or achieve greater things. Make plenty of allies not enemies,” she said.
When it comes to leadership, she looks up to her father for his humility,
and as a Christian, Jesus Christ for his servant leadership. “I know it
sounds religious and cliché but servant leadership appeals to me because
you cannot lead if you do not have followers. Leaders have to command
the respect and following of a group of people. You have to be dependable,
trustworthy and you need to have values that cannot be compromised.
Being a leader is a great responsibility - you cannot let your following down
because they have entrusted you to lead them. You owe it to them,” she said.
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GBMC-JL-082-20 Berita Sunway Issue 68-FA_2.indd 7 05/05/2020 2:58 PM
GBMC-JL-082-20 Berita Sunway Issue 68-FA_2.indd 7
05/05/2020 2:58 PM