Cindy Wu

CEIBS (China Europe International Business School)

“A first-class graduate, outstanding contributor-employee, and loving wife and mother.”

Hometown:  Shandong, China

Fun Fact about Yourself:  I love travelling with my 2-year old son around the world, though it’s quite challenging to take care of a baby during the journey. So far, he has been to over 10 places, and the farthest was a 12-hour journey to Maldives!

Undergraduate School and Major: 

Fudan University – Bachelor of Communication Science and Engineering

Fudan University – Master of Communication and Information System

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Fosun Group – Associate Director (IT Department)

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: The biggest accomplishment in my career was at IBM. I was a consultant working on a project implementing the Maximo system for a nuclear company. Prior to this project, I had zero knowledge about the nuclear industry or the Maximo system. Yet, I quickly mastered the Maximo methodology as well as its implementation in the nuclear company in a systemic perspective. I soon acted as the simultaneous interpreter for IBM US SMEs, local consultants and customers, and conducted over 20 workshops discussing key business processes and system configurations. Furthermore, I was the only member from China to present the project achievements on MUWG (MUWG, a global Maximo product meeting held in US twice a year, representing over 200 utilities companies worldwide). This was rather rare for a Chinese consultant, for which I obtained the special approval from GBS General Manager of IBM GCG. In addition, I won the IBM Service Excellence Award for my contributions to this project.

What is the biggest appeal of earning an MBA in China? China is one of the most dynamic places in the world, and its economy is still dramatically growing. An MBA in China could provide a China-specific perspective to deepen my understanding of China’s business environment and international relations and offer an opportunity to apply the knowledge learned in the real business world.

What quality best describes your MBA classmates and why? A willingness to share. My classmates come from quite diverse industries and functions and they possess different experiences, skills and interests. Quite often, they will hold sharing sessions, both formally and informally. You could learn about blockchain from an engineer or new developments in healthcare, not to mention popular topics such as diplomacy and traditional Chinese medicine. I have learnt so much from them, and they continue to inspire me every day.

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? CEIBS has a global reach in addition to its focus on ‘China Depth’. The curriculum offers broad international perspectives, with a series of overseas electives and dozens of exchange programs with prominent foreign business schools. The faculty base also emphasizes international perspective, with approximately two thirds of the faculty being international, providing profound international experience in professional management and practices.

When I chose the CEIBS MBA program, being international was always a key factor. Not only did I want to learn the business knowledge, but I also wanted to understand its application in the real business world, both in China and abroad.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? CEIBS was my one and only choice.

What do you see yourself doing ten years from now?  Professionally, I aspire to be a senior director in a leading technology company. I believe that cutting-edge technologies, such as big data, AI and IoT will continue to explode and change people’s lives dramatically. I would like to be at the forefront of that change and make a difference to the world.