Cherrilyn Baylon
CITIZENSHIP
Philippines
HINRICH SCHOLARSHIP
RMIT UniversityHo Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Master of International Business, Class of 2020
CURRENT EMPLOYMENT
Component Head - Enterprise Development, Rural Development ProjectPhilippine Department of Agriculter, Davao, Philippines
“As a global trade leader, I believe one should strive for continuous learning, connect with the right people, and share knowledge and skills generously to help promote sustainable global trade.”
Alumni background
Cherrilyn “Lycah” Baylon is a passionate advocate for sustainable trade with over 10 years of experience empowering micro, small, and medium enterprises in the Philippines. Currently, she serves as the Officer in Charge Component Head at the Philippine Rural Development Project for the Mindanao area. In this role, Lycah plays a vital role in advancing sustainable trade practices by supporting business development. She is instrumental in designing and delivering technical assistance and capability-building training to regional counterparts, farmer cooperatives and associations and beneficiaries. Her dedication ensures the sustainable growth of over 200 enterprises participating in the Investment in Rural Enterprises and Agriculture and Fisheries Productivity Component projects.
Lycah's commitment to empowering businesses extends beyond her role at the Philippine Rural Development Project. She is also the Co-founder and Chief Financial Officer of Out of the Box Consulting Services. The firm provides business and professional development training, along with event management services. As CFO, Lycah spearheads financial planning, analyzes the company's financial health and proposes strategic direction.
Lycah brings a wealth of experience from her previous roles at the Hinrich Foundation, the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry, and the MSME Development Foundation.
She earned her Master of International Business from RMIT University in Vietnam in 2020 through the Hinrich Global Trade Leader Scholarship Program.
Personal statement
I started my career as a Project Development Analyst helping micro, small and medium enterprises in the Philippines obtain financing to start or expand their businesses. This career path led me to work for the Hinrich Foundation as an Export Consultant under the Export Trade Assistance program for more than four years.
Over a decade of work experience on SME (small and medium enterprise) and export development revealed the important role of business in my country and motivated me to build a career helping Filipino businesses grow. In addition, my exposure to companies’ real-life challenges taught me that international business knowledge and experience are essential for growth and an ability to adapt in a dynamic and globally competitive environment.
Having received the Hinrich Foundation Global Trade Leader scholarship to pursue a Masters in International Business at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, I am certain this opportunity will provide me with essential knowledge and skills to become more competitive. This will be critical preparation for my next career journey – may it be providing consultancy services for internationalization of businesses, working in a multinational company or starting my own company.
