Jisu Goh, a Full-Time MBA (FMBA) student with an undergraduate degree in engineering, joined Samsung Electronics’ mobile business and initially worked as a software developer. After several years in software development, she transitioned into marketing. Since 2019, she has held a range of marketing roles, from leading global launches of Galaxy S products to developing brand marketing initiatives designed to strengthen loyalty among Galaxy users.

“The hands-on experience I've gained during this time, along with everything I've learned from exceptional senior colleagues and peers, has provided a strong foundation for establishing myself and growing as a marketer,” she shared.

At the same time, Jisu felt a growing need to complement her practical experience with deeper, more structured business knowledge. As she faced new challenges and made numerous decisions throughout each project, she wanted to approach each with greater confidence and a stronger rationale. An MBA, she believed, would also provide an opportunity to reflect on the areas she needed to develop and to broaden her perspective on business.

Jisu had long known SKK GSB to be one of Korea’s leading MBA schools, offering its entire curriculum in English. Because her work frequently involves global markets and international partners, SKK GSB's program stood out to her.

“I was attracted not only to the English-language curriculum, but also to the opportunity to study and build a network with classmates from diverse national and cultural backgrounds,” she explained. “The specialized career tracks, including marketing, also made the program highly relevant to my work.”

Financial support was another major consideration. Because pursuing the MBA required her to take a leave of absence from work, the scholarship program had been one of her key priorities from the beginning of the application process. Ultimately, she received a scholarship covering 50 percent of her tuition throughout the program—an offer that exceeded her expectations and became a decisive factor in her enrollment.

“The scholarship made the decision to pursue the MBA considerably more manageable,” she said. “It was not simply financial support: it also motivated me to aim for even greater academic achievement.”

Jisu entered the program with a determination to learn as much as possible and to make the most of the experience. At the same time, the academic requirements for retaining the scholarship gave her a consistent motivation in her studies. When she achieved stronger academic results than expected, she set herself even higher goals.

Reflecting on her professional experience, Jisu noted that while consumers ultimately encounter a marketing campaign through its message and creative execution, effective marketing must be grounded in a robust strategy.

“Before the MBA, I often approached a new product’s feature by asking how we should communicate and promote it,” she explained. 

“Now, I also ask what value new products and features create for consumers, how they contribute to a competitive advantage, and how they fit within the broader internal and external business environment.”

For Jisu, this represents one of the most meaningful changes brought about by the program: learning to view marketing not simply as communication, but as an integral part of the business.

Because marketing requires close collaboration with numerous teams, courses covering areas such as new product development, social media marketing, and operations management were particularly valuable. These helped her to understand more clearly how a company operates and to gain more direct insight into the roles and perspectives of colleagues working across product planning, digital marketing, production, and sales.

“This broader understanding will help me collaborate more effectively with cross-functional teams and develop marketing strategies that connect the business with its consumers,” she predicted.

The mobile industry operates on relatively short product cycles and is characterized by intense competition, making rapid decision and execution essential. However, as the market has matured and technological capabilities have become increasingly comparable across companies, differentiation based solely on product features has become more difficult. For Jisu, developing a more nuanced understanding of the needs and values that matter most to consumers has therefore become both increasingly important and increasingly challenging.

Considering these challenges, the data analytics and AI courses she encountered during the MBA left a particularly strong impression. She saw their potential to help marketers validate consumer insights more objectively, and she has incorporated them into strategic decision-making.

“After returning to work, I want to develop a more precise understanding of what consumers truly value and which experiences influence their purchasing decisions,” she shared. “I also plan to continue strengthening my capabilities in data analytics and AI, and explore how I can apply them effectively to real-world decision-making.”

Looking ahead, Jisu hopes to develop as a marketer skilled in translating technological and product strengths into meaningful consumer experiences. She believes today’s consumers are not simply purchasing products: they are also buying the experiences and values that the products provide.

“By combining stronger analytical capabilities with a deeper understanding of consumers, I hope to create experiences that make technology genuinely meaningful in people’s lives. Ultimately, I want to strengthen long-term trust and loyalty between the brand and its consumers,” she concluded.