Angela Han

Program Interview

Angela Han is an alumna of the Advanced Management Development Program, and took several open enrollment programs with us as a part of that experience. We caught up with her to learn about her journey to Harvard.

When you were in the AMDP, you served as the Director of Asset Management at SINOBO Group. Tell me a little bit about that role.

I’ve had a variety of roles in my career, all over the world. In that role, I worked in design, construction, and development, and for many of our development projects, I worked on them from beginning to end. I interviewed and evaluated contractors and designers, aligned construction schedules with the sales and marketing leasing timeline, and even did market assessments and analyses.

One of the big projects was for a mixed-use development at the site of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Our firm built up most of the buildings outside of the competition venues and the Olympic village, with the goal of making a “smart town”. A lot of our work was disrupted by COVID, but we found ways to finish on time – unlike most building projects, this one could not be delayed. It was with this in mind that I took some of my electives for AMDP, including AI, Machine Learning and the Built Environment, and From Smart to Autonomous: Emerging Technologies in Buildings. I learned everything I could to make that project a success.

You mentioned those electives you took. What stood out in your experience in From Smart to Autonomous: Emerging Technologies in Buildings?

What really stood out in this program was that it was very practical and discussed more than just the technology in buildings at a high level. The program introduced the different standards that buildings can seek, LEED, WELL, etc., but also gave insight into the cost/benefit of which of these to pursue depending on the project you are working on. It also discussed the technological and practical overlap of different standards – some have more similarities, while others are very different. And the group discussion challenged us to think about the pros and cons of the different standards for our different projects.

You took the AMDP during an unprecedented period of disruption, having started in 2020. Talk about why you chose to do this program, and what your experience was like in it.

I’ve dreamed of studying at Harvard ever since I was little, so when I learned about this program, it was a dream come true. There was some overlap in content from my Executive MBA, but the practical case studies used by many of the professors made learning fun. When people ask me if I recommend AMDP, I always say yes – if you want to make a network across the world, it is very useful. Real estate has a lot of small business owners as well – for small business owners, this program is really good to get exposure to a broad range of real estate knowledge and a global network.