This round of interview features Morgan Nathan, a Product Strategy Associate at LinkedIn, and a Sekolah Sri KDU Secondary graduate, and alumni of class 2011. Read Morgan’s interview below to learn what he does at LinkedIn:
“Growing up with confidence to ride the wave through high school was definitely not the case for me although it may not have seem like it at a point when I used to perform across multiple shows and competitions organised by the school. At Sekolah Sri KDU, the main added value to its syllabus would be the extracurricular activities and programmes provided to its students. Students in Sri KDU are exposed to speech and drama and musical themes on top of other available activities and compulsory subjects.
Back then, we had events such as annual musicals and stage performances which had truly helped me build confidence and it is further proved by my love for my favourite classes, PE and guitar classes. These compulsory programmes and subjects helped shape me into being the person I am today – resilient, disciplined, confident. The whole approach of supplementing and incorporating performing arts in the syllabus has introduced a more holistic approach to education and I was glad to be given that experience growing up in Sri KDU Schools. I had a lot of experience in high school where I found myself being involved in many sports activities and extracurricular sessions and thought I do not think it correlates directly with standing out in university applications but it definitely served as great confidence builders to show potential employers. It did give me the courage to apply to be a student council president which helped me stand out. When I took on the role as Student Council President, I learned a lot through my peers and lecturers – I have organised multiple events, and spearheaded an anonymous feedback system for students, among the many contributions. I only have my experience with Sekolah Sri KDU to carry with me then, and I was undoubtedly grateful that emphasis on the English language across peers and teachers were a priority in which eventually contributed to my communication skills as a Student Council President.
When I went on to pursue my higher education, I did my degree in Accounting and Finance at the University of Bristol and moved on to do my Master’s Degree in Management at London Business School. I had several experiences in my career journey where I have taken up a fair share of Management roles in between semesters while pursuing my studies in the UK. Although I did start my journey in Accounting and Finance at PwC Malaysia, where I interned and soon after realised that my passion in Business Management was stronger. It helped that I previously held roles as a Management Consultant, Strategy and Social Strategy Consultant, up to my current role and career at LinkedIn, as a Product Strategy Associate.
At LinkedIn, I started my role as Sales Strategy and Operations Analyst where I was involved in LinkedIn’s Learning Solutions Department which is the platform’s e-learning solution. I then moved on to Business Strategy and Operations where I focused a lot on LinkedIn's Learning Solutions (e-learning) and LinkedIn's Talent Solutions for talent and recruitment process. I have led multiple product and go-to-market strategies as well as competitive analysis to scale LinkedIn's EMEA & LATAM business successfully and at the same time, supported executive management in strategic and business decisions, ensuring optimal strategic actions. Now that I am the Product Strategy Associate, my focus is to drive the product strategy at LinkedIn – focusing on driving growth, improving existing products, and at the same time, strategise to introduce new features or products for the platform. I work together with Linkedin's Corporate Strategy Department for all international markets (EMEA, LATAM & APAC), taking charge of driving strategic initiatives to support Linkedin's growth, as well as operational insights to further understand day to day business performance. I exclusively am the lead the international LinkedIn Learning product strategy where I of course, predominantly focus on product strategy, but I do move across go-to-market strategy, and operational excellence.
Remember that, all it takes for one to strive or move forward in life is to step out of your comfort zone. Face your fears and involve yourself with as many non-Academic activities as you can, being well-rounded and holistic is as important when you graduate. Good luck!”
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