Min Fui Tom Ngui

Tell us about your degree - why did you choose it? What elements of the degree inspired you to study it?
My parents and I felt it was essential to have formal education in business and management necessary to complement my engineering education. Leeds University Full-time MBA ticked all the boxes because of the unique approach of mixing great academicians with industrialists who have impacted real-world markets and businesses.

What was the best part of your studies here? What did you enjoy the most?
Despite the university's size, I never felt overwhelmed and impersonal about studying here at Leeds University. I felt the learning support system of the university and the community connection was vital to my success as I look back.

What were your career aspirations when you arrived? Do you think the experience and skills you gained here will help/helped you in your future career plans? In what way?
I needed a broader context from the business, leadership, and management end to catapult my career plan in the market-driven world. After completing my engineering degree, I aspired for higher education learning. MBA was a natural choice. The course cohort demanded 70:30 mixes of experienced managers (70) and graduates with excellent results (30). Today, the outcome of my successes can be traced back to my formal education at Leeds. My leadership and entrepreneurship knowledge gained in my years at Leeds has contributed to my personal and organisational successes. Today, I am a leader, inventor, engineer, environmentalist, technologist, project management professional and engineering economist passionate about working in the civil engineering and encompassing industry, particularly leading and delivering complex mission-critical projects. The ability to impact real-world solutions would not have been possible without my genesis at Leeds University Business School.

How has your career progressed since leaving the Business School? Have there been any notable highlights?
Ngui contributed to the growth of Sabah’s building and infrastructure progress in more than a quarter-century service. His successes and contributions live through some of Sabah’s most iconic and economically significant projects in the 21st century. For examples, Kota Kinabalu High Court Complex, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Sabah International Convention Centre, Pan-Borneo Highway and Donggongon-Papar Highway Spur, Sapangar Bay Container Port and POIC Container Port Lahad Datu, and many more. In the preceding years before the turn of the millennium, Ngui successfully led mission-critical projects in Brunei in the run-up to the country’s inaugural APEC Leaders’ Summit 2000. Two international hotels, Orchid Garden Hotel and Parkview Hotel, were delivered ahead of schedule and before foreign heads of state, dignitaries, and VIPs arrived. Ngui’s engineering leadership led to many successes and achievements in Sabah, some in the billion-ringgit mark. His celebrated contributions and innovative engineering solutions in Sabah and Brunei have enhanced and protected lives. A defining mark of his legacy and lifetime professional achievement came in July 2020 after the culmination of Ngui’s successes was independently validated and celebrated. He was awarded Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers UK, the world’s oldest engineering institution. See https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tom-ngui_ice-civilengineers-activity-6874342610178334720-I3RV. As of July 2020, there were only less than 15 Fellows of the Institution of Civil Engineers UK in Malaysia, past and present. In the same month, Ngui was awarded Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, making him just 3% of civil engineers globally who hold this prestigious honour. Moving forward, having earned industry and academic accolades, Ngui is in a privileged position to shape future generations of leaders, engineers, environmentalists, and technologists. A unique platform for futurists like himself, enabling him to influence the course of history to better human society and the environment.

In recent months, Ngui has filed two patents with his brother. Their inventions promote sustainability by problem-solving the shortcomings of domestic and industrial water valve design. He is now working with partners to develop the products and solutions in local and regional markets. Anticipating the local market success, he hopes his inventions will also move to international markets soon.

What are your ambitions for the future?
I have recently returned to academia part-time to join the Faculty of Engineering as a teaching staff, i.e., Industry Fellow and Lecturer. Currently, I serve as Associate Research Fellow in Green Materials and Advanced Construction Technology Research Unit at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS). So, the short answer is, I hope to bring my years of experience in the industry, education and many failures back to the university to teach and inspire the next generations of leaders and engineers.

Do you think your experience and skills gained here will help you in your future career plans? In what way?
Yes, it has and will continue to. My successes & impacts were highlighted in previous answers.

If you are not from the UK, how was the transition to a foreign country? Did the university offer support or services that you found helpful? Can you offer any advice?
Yes, I can single out the Leeds University alumni as the backbone of continual engagement, support and motivation.

What was your impression/experience of the facilities, the staff, your peers, the student union, the City of Leeds and the region itself? What would you recommend to future students?
I saw no shortcomings in my five years in Leeds. The facilities and resources of the university were up to date. The faculty members were helpful and supportive. I always felt I could (and I have) speak to the teaching staff about any questions I needed more in-depth insights. The student union, as I recalled, was essential to my overall learning experience at Leeds. Students from various backgrounds and nationalities infused my cultural experience at Leeds. The City of Leeds is fantastic too. My regular visits to Kirkgate Market brought back memories I can never forget. Thank you for the opportunity to experience so much in such a short time in Leeds.

What would you say is your defining memory of studying here? (eg friendships made, confidence in your abilities, or any single event that you will always remember?) And would you recommend the Business School to others?
The coursemates who remain as my friends for life helped me remember my days at Leeds University Business School