For University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Shidler College of Business alumna Qynn Nguyen, the journey from earning her master’s in business administration to now leading strategic initiatives at YouTube has been a story of adaptability, innovation and resilience.
As manager of video on demand for YouTube TV, Primetime Channels, FAST and NFL Sunday Ticket, Nguyen’s career showcases how core business skills and a passion for learning can propel success in dynamic industries. Nguyen says that earning her graduate degree with Shidler’s Vietnam Executive MBA program was helpful in advancing her career.
After she graduated in 2012, she took her first steps into the tech world by joining Google in Silicon Valley. Nguyen then moved to Singapore and then back to California where she began leading a team of account managers for small and medium business AdWords advertisers. Two years into her time at Google, she transitioned to the Google Play Movies and TV team. The division was eventually rebranded to Google TV, to include 3rd party content services and providers such as Amazon Prime, Netflix and Hulu.
“We successfully transitioned from a mobile first to a living room centric viewing experience as a product and I am very proud of these achievements,” she said.
Nguyen spent a total of 10 years at Google, and during her time, she spearheaded the global expansion of transactional video services, growing the reach from 16 to 117 territories, all while the team was reduced from 30 to four. In 2023, Nguyen took on a new challenge at YouTube, leading operations for subscription and ad-supported video services across YouTube, YouTube TV and NFL Sunday Ticket. She says that joining YouTube has allowed her to bring her expertise in digital video distribution to tackle operational and technical challenges within the ecosystem.
“I am looking forward to growing our video on demand products across YouTube and leveraging the inbuilt reach of our user base,” she said.
Since joining YouTube and taking on a new role, she’s leaned on the core business and operational skills acquired throughout her career, many of which were honed during her time at Shidler College. Reflecting on her journey from Shidler to YouTube, Nguyen holds that time of her life and friendships developed close to her heart.
“I always look back at my time in business school very fondly and admire the successes of my fellow classmates and alumni,” she said. “We still stay in contact and visit each other across the globe, including our professors.”
For the entire story and more stories like this, see the fall/winter 2024 edition of Shidler Business.
