Hanqing Zhao

The Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University

“A global citizen and cross-cultural communicator who thrives on diversity.”

Hometown:  Beijing, China

Fun Fact About Yourself: There are two sides to my personality; I am simultaneously extroverted and introverted. While I am fascinated by the glamour and pace of the business world, I am also deeply attracted to spiritual fields such as religious studies and ancient art.

Undergraduate School and Major: Glion Institute of Higher Education (Switzerland), Business Administration

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Ogilvy & Mather Marketing Communications Consulting (Beijing office), Director of Strategic Communications

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: During the past four years, my team experienced a 200% increase in scale and a 300% increase in business revenue. However, the accomplishment that I value even more are the deep friendships and mutual trust that I built with my colleagues and business partners.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Absolutely talented and passionate in life – I love the great energy that they bring me.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? Beside the MBA program itself, I deeply considered the entire learning and living experience. McGill University has my full admiration on this. As Canada’s most prestigious university with a long and decorated history, I appreciate very much its ambiance and the quality of the brilliant minds surrounding me here.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? The Entrepreneurship Club – I also dream of one day being an entrepreneur, and I love the vibrancy among dreamers.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? With several years of experience in marketing communications, I reached a point where I knew I could stay comfortably in my industry and enjoy a decent lifestyle, but complacency is not for me. As an adventurer, I am challenging myself to transition from corporate communications to global and transcultural communications on worldwide platforms. I’m also eager to broaden my mind and to see a bigger world. As a result, I determined that enrolling in a world class MBA program in a foreign country was the best way to bridge my goals and step forward to the next level in my career and life.

How did you decide if an MBA was worth the investment? I believe the core value of an MBA comes from the advancement it provides to both your career and your life. I evaluated this investment from two perspectives. First, it was the gaining of essential knowledge and skillsets. The Desautels MBA program will provide practical tools, skills and knowledge to better manage my career. For example, with a concentration in Global Strategy and Leadership, I will better learn how to manage the organizational impacts of globalization and navigate professionally in a global context. Secondly, I believe an MBA can transform your mindset. By expanding my perspectives, I believe the MBA journey will help me better understand the world, connect with passionate and like-minded others, become inspired, and construct a meaningful life. It is for these reasons that I felt the Desautels MBA was well worth the investment.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Rotman School of Management – University of Toronto

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Of course, I consulted the university rankings, such as QS and The Financial Times. I looked at the top three Canadian business schools and initially didn’t see much divergence. After finalizing the shortlist, for me it became all about the experience. In fact, I believe the experience with the school starts from the application – you can learn a lot about a school throughout the process: the team’s professionalism, openness and friendliness, as well as the school’s personality and culture. McGill’s recruiting team nicely surprised me with their professionalism and efficiency. I had the best chemistry with them and the city of Montreal.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I think there wasn’t a single moment that defines me. Rather, my past working and living experiences in Asia, Western Europe and North America, as well as the three languages I use and their respective cultural backgrounds (Chinese, French, English) defined me gradually to who I am today.

What do you plan to do after you graduate? My goal is to work in the field of global and transnational communications, supporting government or corporate interactions at a global level. To achieve this aim, I will be researching and networking with international organizations, including intergovernmental or nongovernmental organizations during the MBA program. I believe these organizations will be the best platforms for leveraging my passion and expertise in cross-cultural communications to advance solutions for our most pressing societal challenges.

Where do you see yourself in five years? I see myself traveling the globe, savoring diversity and trying to contribute to a better world.