From Switzerland to Bangkok: Pascal Gallina’s Journey Beyond the Comfort Zone

“When you wake up in the morning and feel too comfortable with what you’re doing, it’s often a sign that it’s time for a change,” said Pascal Gallina (Sasin MBA 2025), a Swiss student. As an aviation enthusiast and industrial automation project manager, Pascal has long been drawn to Bangkok, which he calls a major regional hub with direct access to ASEAN’s growing markets.

“Bangkok offered a front-row seat to the incredible economic dynamism of Southeast Asia, an experience you simply can’t get from a classroom in Europe or the U.S.” – Pascal Gallina, Sasin MBA 2025

Captivated by Bangkok’s energy and dynamic economy, Pascal decided at 26 to step out of his comfort zone and pursue his MBA at Sasin. Its strong partnerships with Wharton and Kellogg, combined with its location at the heart of ASEAN, made it the right place for him to gain a non-Western business perspective. “Switzerland is a very comfortable place to live, but the environment is quite different and more limited in scale. Bangkok offers a highly dynamic environment that exposes me to different industries and perspectives. That’s a huge reason I chose to come here.”  

From Engineering to Business Strategy

In his previous role, he led complex industrial projects, from relocating and commissioning production lines to driving automation upgrades across multi-disciplinary teams. He had long been interested in finance and management strategy while focusing his early career on engineering and automation. Enrolling in the MBA program at Sasin provided Pascal with a pathway from an engineer to a business strategist through cutting-edge coursework and insightful class discussions.

“In our class discussions, my classmates from across Asia bring insights on everything from modernizing family businesses to navigating rapidly changing markets. This daily exchange of different perspectives is challenging my structured way of thinking, and that’s an invaluable part of my education.”- Pascal Gallina, Sasin MBA 2025

At Sasin, Pascal is learning the language of finance, marketing, and corporate strategy, which has enabled him to evaluate technology projects not only for their technical merit but also for their long-term economic impact. This has helped him connect the dots between innovation and value creation. “My technical education and career [in Switzerland] gave me the skills to manage complex projects and understand the ‘how,’ but the curriculum here is teaching me the strategic ‘why’,” he added.  

Learning Business Strategy, Digital Transformation, and Winning the Family Enterprise Case Competition

Two courses that particularly resonated with Pascal were “Business Strategy,” taught by Ragil Ratnam, Head of Business Development, Executive Education at Sasin, and “Digital Transformation,” taught by Visiting Professor Alvin Ng. The Business Strategy course provided him with insights into different business approaches and the reasons why they fail, while Digital Transformation offered up-to-date knowledge of the latest challenges in the field. Eager to test the business skills he had learned, Pascal joined the “205 Advisory” Sasin team that won the Family Enterprise Case Competition – Asia Pacific 2025 (FECC-AP), an annual regional competition hosted by Sasin. The competition gives student teams a set of real-world family business cases that they must analyze under time pressure and present strategic recommendations to a jury.

Switzerland is a very comfortable place to live, but the environment is quite different and more limited in scale. Bangkok offers a dynamic environment that exposes me to diverse industries and perspectives. That’s a huge reason I chose to come here.” Pascal Gallina, Sasin MBA 2025

“We had a good team with people from family business and corporate backgrounds,” he said of his team members. From the FECC-AP, he learned about family business dynamics, succession issues, conflicts among family members, and how to resolve them. He also developed skills in working under pressure, teamwork, and presentations. Next year, Pascal will compete in the annual Schlesinger Global Family Enterprise Case Competition (SG-FECC) held at the University of Vermont’s Grossman School of Business in the United States.  

Advice for Future Students

When asked for advice on how to become more culturally immersed in another culture, he has this to say: “The most important thing is to be open and be yourself,” Pascal advises. “With many Thais, it’s easy to get along if you’re open-minded. You have to step out of your comfort zone, be open to people, and talk to them.” Would he recommend Sasin to other students? Pascal said, “I would specifically recommend it to professionals who understand that real growth happens outside their comfort zone and who genuinely want to gain a new, non-Western business perspective. The classroom experience and cultural immersion are invaluable.”