Jasper Lee

Alliance Manchester Business School (The University of Manchester)

“Building a multi-coloured calendar by day and dreaming in PowerPoint Morph by night.”

Fun fact about yourself: I was born in London, I’m Malaysian, but I grew up across three countries – and have never lived in Malaysia!

Hometown: Singapore

High School: Australian International School, Singapore

Major: BSc Information Technology Management for Business

Minor: N/A

Favorite Business Course Unit: Business Analysis (BMAN24630) with Ali Owrak, Professor of Digital Transformation

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

Accelerate ME, President and Board Member
Lloyds Banking Group Information Technology Management for Business Case Competition (2024), Judge
Manchester University Music Society, Symphony Orchestra
The University of Manchester, Halls of Residence Network Representative
Alliance Manchester Business School, Peer Mentor
Licentiate of Trinity College London (LTCL) Violin, Level 6 Diploma in Music Performance
Proctor & Gamble Information Technology Management for Business Mid-Year Case Competition (2022), First Place Team
Credit Suisse Information Technology Management for Business Case Competition (2022), First Place Team
Barclays & Capgemini Elevate National Case Competition (2022), Runner-up Team and Capgemini Best Speaker Award
Alliance Manchester Business School Outstanding Academic Achievement Award (2021-22)

Where have you interned during your college career?

Nomura, Business Analyst Intern within Global Markets Technology (London)
Olympus Corporation, IT Strategy and Transformation Intern (Singapore)

Where will you be working after graduation? Nomura, Technology Analyst (London)

Who is your favorite business professor? Grigory Pishchulov is deeply committed to his students and consistently goes above-and-beyond. I recall discussing a challenge I was struggling with in a software engineering project. The next day, I received a message at 10pm – he had been thinking about my problem over the weekend and had provided me with a few potential (working!) solutions, whilst still giving me room to develop my skills.

When a new Programme Director was being chosen for my course, I was rooting for Grigory and was thrilled when he got the role. Always a friendly face around university, he’s played a big role in shaping my university experience – not just asking for opinions and concerns but acting on them.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Be curious, take risks and believe in yourself. Some of the most valuable opportunities I’ve taken have come from stepping out of my comfort zone. When you do, you may surprise yourself with how capable you are!

Surrounded by incredible people, there is often a pressure to chase the best grades and prestigious internships. While those can be valuable, don’t let them define your journey. Pursue what you’re genuinely passionate about, even if it doesn’t seem like the obvious choice. Following your interests will open doors you didn’t know existed and bring about amazing opportunities when you least expect it.

What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? In the Digital Economy: Platforms, AI and the Business (BMAN31952) module, a focus is placed not only on managing the rapidly-evolving capabilities of AI in the modern environment, but how it can be used to reshape digital strategies and business models. We’re encouraged to use large language models as tools to enhance ideation and analysis, whilst reinforcing an understanding of the limitations of AI and the need for human judgement and result verification.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I’m most proud of my experience leading Accelerate ME, the largest student-led start-up accelerator in Northern England. I played a key role in selecting start-ups for Accelerate ME’s 11th Cohort, engaging partners and alumni to design a 12-week intensive program featuring expert-led workshops and equity-free funding, and coordinating a team of 30 to build the infrastructure to support our student founders.

To date, we’ve distributed over £250K, and our alumni have raised over £45m in follow-on funding. I’m thrilled to be part of a community that helps break down barriers to entrepreneurship and turn ambitious ideas into reality. One of the highlights last year was bringing a cohort of 20 founders and alumni to Web Summit in Lisbon – an unforgettable experience connecting our entrepreneurs with the global start-up ecosystem.

Which classmate do you most admire? The classmate I most admire is Lily Piddington. Over the past year, I’ve gotten to know Lily well through our work together on the Board of Accelerate ME, and I have deep respect for her determination and drive. After initially studying biotechnology, she made the decision to start over and pursue a business degree. From serving as President of Accelerate ME in her first year of business school to working with start-ups and advocating for women’s representation in business, she never settles for anything less than success.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would like to thank Dr. Aloysius Leong – ‘Dr. Al’ – for guiding me through eight years of violin training and helping me achieve a Licentiate Diploma in Violin Performance. But beyond the qualification, the process of learning music shaped me in ways I never expected. I still remember failing my Associate Diploma on my first attempt – a defining moment where quitting felt like the simplest option. Instead, it taught me resilience, persistence, and the ability to find beauty in both precision and the imperfect journey toward it. Learning music helped me express myself beyond words. Most importantly, it showed me that failure is never the end – just another step towards success.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

Pursue further study within design engineering
Build a product and launch my own technology start-up

What made Jasper such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?

“Jasper’s impressive qualities shine both in and out of a classroom setting. He is a conscientious student, demonstrating a constant dedication throughout his degree. His commitment to his studies was evident when he approached me in an utmost professional way to seek clarification on some feedback he had received for one of his assignments. His proactive approach to achieving the best possible academic performance, paired with his calm and respectful demeanor, demonstrated maturity and self-advocacy. Apart from that, Jasper also shows a great care for his classmates and is able to empathise and reassure them when workloads mount and a team effort is needed, which demonstrates his innate concern for his classmates.

Jasper has also demonstrated a strong sense of commitment to supporting his programme of study. For example, while being on industrial placement away from the University, he attended a key programme-level event to represent his employer. Such events bring together students from across the programme and its industry partners who arrive to receive students’ presentations and offer them feedback and an excellent opportunity to network with the industry. Jasper’s commitment to attending the event, serving on the judging panels, and networking with students has contributed to the success of the event and benefited the students as well as the programme’s partnership with the industry.

Overall, Jasper embodies a great range of qualities. Whether he’s leading or working with peers, representing them in townhall meetings or in pursuit of ways to improve and upskill, he is a very well-rounded individual. I am confident he will continue to be very successful after graduation.”

Grigory Pishchulov
Programme Director
BSc (Hons) Information Technology Management for Business

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