Andrew Qiao  

CEIBS (China Europe International Business School)

“A native New Yorker who constantly searches for exciting and thought-provoking things to do.”

Hometown:  New York, USA

Fun Fact about Yourself: I took a year off between my previous job and the MBA and traveled to Cuba, France, Indonesia, Greece, and the Maldives.

Undergraduate School and Major: New York University Leonard N. Stern School of Business – Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in Finance & Economics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: J.P. Morgan – Technology Investment Banking Analyst

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I had the opportunity to participate in the entire sell-side process of Aricent, an engineering, research & development company, to Altran, a strategic buyer. It was fascinating to assume an integral role and to see everything from the inner workings of corporate governance to the valuation and positioning of the company leading up to the announcement of the deal.

What is the biggest appeal of earning an MBA in China? I think the most compelling things about China are the rich history and diverse regional cultures. Born and raised in New York, I never had the chance to spend enough time in China to get to know the country and understand its people better. CEIBS’ curriculum and faculty fully represent its motto, “China Depth, Global Breadth.” I have the opportunity to challenge myself with a wide selection of electives, taught by professors from all around the world. This has allowed me to pursue my desire to dig deeper into the Chinese economy. The rate at which China develops is captivating, and one of the biggest appeals of earning an MBA in China is to see and experience that development first-hand.

What quality best describes your MBA classmates and why?  Humility. Despite their impressive accomplishments, my classmates are extremely humble. Their thirst for self-development constantly inspires me. Every day, I would walk into different classmates chatting about intriguing topics and bouncing ideas off one another.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of the MBA curriculum or activities that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? It is the ICSP projects that we participate in during term 3. ICSP projects are real-world and real-time projects offered by different companies in China for CEIBS MBA students. We are in charge of forming our teams and bidding on projects that spark our interests. These projects range from strategic planning to marketing campaigns and students are encouraged to either explore new found interests or strengthen existing skills. I intend to do both. The opportunity to work on real-world projects from SOEs or other large MNCs is precisely what I need. It gives us a taste of what the real world (China) is like. Other than a great learning opportunity, it gives us the chance to test out our interests to see if they are good fits. My team has recently received our project assignment, and we are all extremely excited to get started.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? None.

What do you see yourself doing ten years from now? Embracing my entrepreneurial spirit, I would be running my own education or technology company in Asia.