Alumni Interview | Tina ZHU: Always Stay Open to New Challenges

Tina has worked in large state-owned enterprises such as Eastern Airlines, CCCC Third Harbour Engineering Co. Ltd. and Lingang Group with accumulated experience in foreign business, engineering research, project operation, and government relations, etc. During that period, she has witnessed and participated in the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Project, the acceptance check and opening-up of the national 12-kilometer port in Lingang, and the research and revision of the cultural policies in the national "13th Five-Year Plan". At E-Home Entertainment Development (a joint venture between Microsoft and BesTV) - the official publisher of Xbox in mainland China, her bold and innovative work has helped the game console obtain the permanent exemption from secondary official custom approval. And it is exactly her years at E-Home that have encouraged her to extend her career into the field of cultural and creative industries.

At the start of a career: open eyes and broaden horizons

Majored in international economics and trade, Tina obtained her bachelor’s degree in Shanghai Jiao Tong University. After graduation, she worked for China Eastern Airlines as a travel consultant in Business Travel Department, providing high-quality customised service both to government & many of the Fortune 500 companies such as Sony, General Motor, Best Buy, etc. The international environment and the diversity of clients’ backgrounds opened the eyes of the newcomer and equipped her with the necessary skills and understandings in her interaction with large enterprises and government.

3 years later, recognised by CCCC Third Harbour Engineering Co., Ltd., one of the clients she had worked for in Eastern Airlines, the outstanding performance of Tina helped her get the opportunity to make a career transition to join the Design & Research Institute Co., Ltd., of the above-mentioned company. Consistent with her aspiration to try new things, Tina started to engage herself into port-related major research and engineering projects:

“Indeed, it is not easy to get yourself adapted to a new industry, but for me, the platform provided by the work is more important. Thanks to the company, I can participate in some great projects like the HongKong – ZhuHai – Macao Bridge construction, which broadened my horizons and led me to a wider world.”

During the 7 years spent in port-related work, not only has Tina got her job well done but also she has managed to be a registered civil engineer (harbor and waterway). After she joined Lingang Group, she changed her work orientation from research to operation, in charge of the interactions with many top clients in advanced manufacturing (Sany Heavy Industry, Siemens, ABB, etc.). In the meantime, she was also responsible for dealings with administrative functions such as Shanghai municipal government, customs, border control, commodity inspection and the Management Committee of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, which has enabled her to improve the abilities in terms of projects operation and government relations.

MBA Study: a guaranteed investment

It was in 2008 when Tina got hired by CCCC Third Harbour Engineering that she, for the first time, had the idea of participating in an MBA programme. She was Secretary of Board Directors at that time and was required to assist the management to make strategic decisions. When she found that it was hard to give valuable ideas from a global perspective, she realised that investing in an MBA study would be a must in the near future. In 2015, the need for self-improvement has become far more urgent after she joined E-home Entertainment Development (she was Senior GR Manager, Senior Operation Manager and Secretary of Board Directors), the first registered joint venture in China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone.

Speaking of why she had chosen the KEDGE-SJTU Global MBA programme, Tina summarized with 3 reasons as below:

• Internationality & Diversity: Because of her working situation (a newly-created joint venture preparing to bring Xbox to mainland China), she encountered very often problems caused by cultural collision. A highly-international programme concerning its courses, faculty and participants could help her to better understand the cultural differences and be more tolerant and easy-to-communicate.

• Location & Transportation: The courses of the programme were delivered in the Xuhui Campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. With the convenient transportation, she could experience the international education while taking care of her job and family life at the same time.

• Major & Courses: In addition to the management knowledge learning, the programme could also provide her with innovation-related majors and courses, which responded well to her career needs (she was working in the game industry and was in charge of the creation of Xbox Lab in partnership with SJTU).

“An MBA is not only about quick professional promotion, but more an investment in your future. Once the right choice made, the investment will be guaranteed as it ensures you, on one hand, a comprehensive development in knowledge, practice, mindset, and network, etc., and on the other hand, helps you to find your true needs and the direction for further development.”

Taking over “GUAN”: a combination of personal passion and career ambition

The work at E-Home opened the door of cultural and creative industries for Tina. She participated in the creation and development of the company and also gained many inspirations about personal development and business operations. Relying on what she has learned from E-Home, Tina made her mind to extend her career into the field of creative industries, taking over from her mother the business of “GUAN” – a brand focused on new ways of health care and wellness of city dwellers:

• Favourable Policies: The development of E-home benefited from the favourable policies of “reforms to streamline administration, delegate powers, and improve regulation and services”, more specifically, from the institutional innovation (Negative List) of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone. Similarly, the healthcare industry in China is on the rise and more good policies could be expected, focusing the entrepreneurial project on the area of “Chinese Medicine”, “Healthcare” is also following the lead.

• Going-out: While introducing high-quality game products into the Chinese market, E-home insists on the “Going-out” policy and offers the opportunity for excellent domestic games to go global. As for “GUAN”, the modernisation of “Chinese medicine and healthcare” by means of innovative theories and technologies shares the same desire of “going-out” to inherit and promote the Chinese cultural treasure.

• Real Passion: Passion is a necessary requirement to create products that cater to the needs of the market and meet the expectations of consumers, which is particularly evident in the game industry. Tina, who loves Tibetan culture and its natural ingredients, also hopes to promote the traditional culture in a modern way by creating "GUAN", allowing the public to enjoy the perfect state of serenity and physical and mental unity while satisfying their appetite.

Regarding the future development of GUAN, Tina believes that running business of a “traditional” brand in today’s world requires not only the adherence to the ancestors’ business rule which is “sticking to integrity of word and practice while keeping a low profile”, but also the creation of a comprehensive and innovative business matrix that can keep up with the market rhythm and win customers by providing quality products and service in various fields (food, culture, art, etc.).

Suggestions to MBA participants

In response to some of the problems/difficulties that MBA participants (or those who are still hesitating) may encounter, Tina gives some advice based on her own experience:

• About the programme

Before making the decision, you have to be clear about yourself and what you expect to get from the programme (knowledge, network, resource, etc.). Being cool-headed and then pick the one that suits you the most. Once the challenge is taken, get fully prepared both physically and psychically (you need to balance your study, work, and life).

• About the study

Always remember that the MBA trains you to manage, not just to complete missions. So learn to prioritise when you can hardly balance your work and school. Try to solve your problems through effective communications (with your professors and group members), good time allocation (make use of your spare time) and efficient resource management (you have classmates from various industries, just find the experts to guide you to maximise your result in the shortest possible time), and that is also something worth learning.

• About your life

Divide your time into 10 equal parts, and the proportion of work-study-family-self should be 3-3-3-1. Always save some time for yourself even when you have a very busy schedule, because only those who know how to enjoy themselves and improve themselves can work better, study better and be a strong support for their families, and thus live a real life.

China Chine