As we continue to highlight the experiences of our MBA students and graduates, we spoke with Chhin Chanreaksmey, a logistics professional with nearly 10 years of experience across operations and commercial roles.
With an academic background in E-Commerce and Logistics, Chanreaksmey joined Paragon International University’s MBA program to strengthen his broader business knowledge and further develop the management and leadership skills needed to progress in the logistics industry.
In this interview, he reflects on how the MBA has changed the way he approaches operational challenges, evaluates business opportunities, and connects day-to-day logistics decisions with broader strategic objectives.
1. What made you choose Paragon.U’s MBA, and what is your role at Pandora Logistics?
I chose Paragon.U’s MBA because I wanted to strengthen my business knowledge and develop the management and leadership skills needed to grow further in the logistics industry.
My educational background is in E-Commerce and Logistics, and I have almost 10 years of experience across logistics operations and commercial roles. The MBA therefore felt like a natural next step, allowing me to connect my practical experience with stronger knowledge in areas such as strategy, finance, leadership, and business management.
At Pandora Logistics, my role focuses on managing and developing logistics business activities. This includes customer relationship management, commercial development, coordination with operations teams, and identifying solutions that create value for our customers.
2. Logistics is fast-moving and often global. Has the MBA changed how you approach operations or decision-making at work?
Definitely. Before starting the MBA, I often focused primarily on solving operational problems and completing tasks as efficiently as possible.
The MBA has encouraged me to look at decisions from a broader business perspective. Today, when evaluating a situation, I consider not only operational efficiency but also cost, profitability, customer value, risk, people, and the long-term sustainability of the business.
It has changed the questions I ask. Instead of focusing only on, “How can we solve this problem?”, I also ask, “Is this the right decision for the business in the long term?”
That broader perspective has helped me approach operational and commercial decisions more strategically.
3. What is one moment from the program that directly applied to your work in logistics and supply chain?
One important moment came while working on business and project analysis during the program. I realized how closely academic concepts can be connected to real challenges in logistics.
Concepts such as cost management, pricing strategy, customer segmentation, competitive analysis, and supply-chain efficiency can all be directly applied to logistics operations and commercial decision-making.
After applying these ideas at work, I started evaluating customers and projects differently. Rather than looking primarily at revenue, I began considering profitability, the operational resources required, potential risks, and the long-term value of each business opportunity.
This has changed the way I assess projects and has helped me make more balanced business decisions.
4. How did you balance the demands of the logistics industry with the MBA workload?
It was challenging because logistics is an industry where situations can change very quickly. Customer requirements, shipments, operational issues, and urgent requests do not always follow a predictable schedule.
For me, the key was time management and prioritization. I learned to distinguish between urgent and important tasks, plan my academic work in advance, and use weekends and available time more efficiently.
There were certainly periods when the pressure was high, particularly when professional responsibilities and academic assignments came at the same time. However, I gradually stopped seeing work and the MBA as two completely separate commitments.
Many of the concepts I learned in class could immediately be applied to my work, while my professional experience also helped me understand the MBA concepts more deeply. In that sense, the two experiences reinforced each other.
5. What would you tell someone working in logistics or supply chain who is considering an MBA?
I would strongly recommend it, particularly for professionals who want to move beyond day-to-day operations and progress toward management or leadership positions.
Logistics is not simply about moving goods from one place to another. It involves finance, technology, customer experience, strategy, people management, risk management, and international business. An MBA can help professionals understand this bigger picture and make stronger business decisions.
My advice would be not to pursue an MBA only for the degree. Use your workplace as a laboratory.
Take what you learn in the classroom and apply it to real problems within your organization. When you connect academic knowledge with professional experience in this way, the MBA becomes much more valuable.