WINNER | Yejin Lee
TACKLING PRODUCTIVITY KEY FOR SCHOLARSHIP AWARDEE YEJIN
New Sainsbury Management Fellow Yejin Lee says she will use her MBA and her new skills to address low productivity levels in construction.
Yejin, a Chartered Civil Engineer, has had a successful career specialising in building structures and infrastructure projects since she graduated from the University of Leeds in 2016. She began her career as a Structural Engineer, designing energy from waste plants and stations, and later became a Design Manager, overseeing engineering consultancies and subcontractors. Most recently, she managed the pre-construction stage design of the HS2 major hub at Old Oak Common station in London.
Now 31, and with experience with Balfour Beatty-VINCI-SYSTRA JV and SYSTRA under her belt, she is determined to make an impact to boost UK productivity through innovation and strong leadership.
Having witnessed recent efficiencies in the manufacturing sector over the last decade, she wants the construction sector to catch up.
She said: “I’ve always been interested in buildings, and I’m good at maths, so I thought I’d combine the two with a career as a structural engineer.
“I studied Architectural Engineering at university which combines civil and structural engineering with architecture. But when I studied architecture, especially when I was doing design studio classes, I soon realised I did not like the creative side. I was more interested in making structures stand up than anything else.
“I want to solve inefficiencies in construction. I’m interested in reducing construction times. For example, there’s been some great work done recently to create monitors that track the curing speed of concrete, which helps to speed up the whole construction process. I’d love to look at hardware and software innovations to improve other aspects of the construction process.”
Yejin is one of the latest five engineers to be awarded Sainsbury Management Fellows scholarships to study at the world’s leading business schools. She will study for her MBA at INSEAD.
She added: “An MBA has been in my thoughts for as long as I can remember really, certainly since I was about 15 or so. I always wanted a specialism, and for that to be backed up by a business education.
“I want to have my own business eventually, but at the moment while I have a rough business idea, I don’t have a firm business plan. Having an MBA will give me the skills and network that I would need to have a business in the future.
“I could have got a well-paid job that has good career progression if I continued in my career, but I didn’t want to continue down that path, repeating the industry’s recurring inefficiencies without making improvements.
“Through my MBA experience, I hope to broaden my horizons and build a strong foundation in business and economics that I can utilise in my future career. I have realised that solely having technical knowledge and expertise in specific tasks at work has its limitations. To advance my career and achieve my goals, I need a comprehensive understanding of the bigger picture in the business world.”
Yejin also says she might not have been able to follow her dreams if it wasn’t for the £50,000 scholarship received, adding: “The scholarship has made a significant difference in my life. It was a huge relief, as I struggled to support myself financially during my MBA. Without the scholarship, taking out a loan would have placed a heavy burden on me, impacting my ability to make my next career move freely without the stress of repaying a large debt.”
Find out more about the Sainsbury Management Fellows’ Scholarship.