The Leader She Is: Asian Institute of Management Empowers Women in Development to Pursue Success

MAKATI CITY, PHILIPPINES – Women are at the heart of the development sector, driving progress and shaping its future from the start. Their contributions as leaders and stakeholders are invaluable, making it crucial to offer opportunities for growth in leadership, sustainability, and social impact.

The Master in Development Management (MDM) program has been proactive in supporting women leaders achieve their dreams, particularly through the Asian Development Bank -Japan Scholarship Program (ADB-JSP). As one of only two academic institutions in the Philippines that supports ADB-JSP scholars, the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) has proven its commitment to fostering a more equal, inclusive society.

Christine Pambuan, MDM 2023, chose to pursue the degree after extensive research on a suitable curriculum that would reflect her level of experience. “I had been looking for a program that would substantiate the spontaneous methods I used to employ as a learning designer,” she said.

In her role as Executive Director of Pinas Forward Digital Democracy and Development, Inc., she has appreciated how the MDM program has affirmed the role of empathy in her leadership style. “MDM affirmed that empathy truly is necessary in development leaders. Since the MDM program provided us with a strong background, I have grown more certain that empathy is not abstract, but rather a daily practice.”

Raudah Asy Syarifah, MDM 2022 , wished to integrate several different principles from her career in finance and use it to strengthen socioeconomic institutions. “My goal was to effectively integrate sustainable principles into financial strategies, ensuring that my role contributes meaningfully to both economic growth and socio-environmental responsibility,” she said.

Her current role as a Corporate Banking Relationship Manager of a private bank in Indonesia reflects this. “The MDM program equipped me with strategic planning and project management skills, preparing me to be able to drive transformative initiatives within my organization,” she emphasized .

For Cindy Quintos, MDM 2024 , her degree has helped her to promote social good within her own organization, the Philippine Army Provident Fund. “As part of the public sector, the [MDM] program is an excellent fit for me. It deepens my knowledge and skills, particularly in areas of leadership, strategic planning, and organizational development.” she said.

As Chief of the Admin and Finance division, she aims to champion financial literacy among its beneficiaries—most of whom are active members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. “We aim to promote educating and counseling the soldiers and their families on financial literacy starting in the early part of their service/career. This will eventually lessen debt-related stress and boost their mental and emotional well-being, thus, will increase their work productivity, lessen attrition rate and eradicate cases of corruption,” Cindy elaborated.

Women in development face unique challenges, particularly in roles of leadership and opportunity – which is why programs such as these are critical to help support the needs of women and other minorities. For Christine, Raudah, and Cindy, their pursuit of an MDM further deepened their knowledge and understanding of their own organizations. In addition, they were able to do so with financial ease.

These testimonies prove that our Master in Development Management program has the tools that women leaders look for in advancing and honing their motivations towards sustainably driven solutions.

Interested in finding out more? Click here to start your journey towards leadership for social good: https://aim.edu/programs/master-in-development-management/