Bo Cheung, Germany/China, MBA Class of 2011,  
Head of Supplier Management - Digital Foundation, Bayer AG

Why did you choose to study at Hochschule Pforzheim?

I was looking for an international MBA program at an institution in Germany with high reputation in Management studies and with broad industry network in Germany and in the region. In addition, the international classroom experience has led to my decision for Hochschule Pforzheim.

What was your career path like after graduation?

I started my career right after graduation at BASF in Germany in a global procurement role and worked on IT Procurement strategies and diverse sourcing projects. Afterwards I had the chance to join the BASF regional procurement team in China for several years as Procurement Category Lead and team lead for IT and Business Services in Asia Pacific. In 2018, I moved back to Germany to work for Bayer and contributed with my procurement role in various Digital Transformation projects in Manufacturing IT and Bayer M&A projects such as the Divestment of Animal Health. Currently, I am leading the global Supplier Management team in Digital Procurement. The team is based in the US and Germany, and we manage the top IT suppliers at Bayer which account for over 600 Mio. EUR spend p.a.

What were two of the key takeaways from your time in the MBA program?

During the MBA studies, I was inspired by the quality of education and the commitment of the professors to coach each student successfully for their individual career preparations. I still can remember the classes on Leadership and European politics which shaped my perception of working in and leading effective teams and the influence of macro-economical factors at corporation level. Since I already spent most of my Bachelor studies in Germany, the wide network of the program with partner universities enabled me to study in the UK and in China within the MBA. This has on top enhanced my perspectives and personal development.