Meet Minnesota Carlson’s MBA Class Of 2021

Han Zhou 

University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management

“Ambitious business professional with global experience and global mindset.”

Hometown: Wuhu, China

Fun Fact About Yourself: I help manage my dad’s blog in China. Now we have more than 850,000 followers!

Undergraduate School and Major: Zhejiang Yuexiu University of Foreign Languages, English Literature

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: PATEO Shanghai, International Business Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I have successfully made my career pivot from an interpreter to a business professional. During my first year in business development, I successfully led the company’s market entry into two Fortune 500 customers, increased department revenue by 30 percent, and boosted customer retention rate to 100 percent.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Genuinely nice! I know people always make fun of “Minnesota nice,” but my classmates (and Carlson School alumni) are just the best people I could ever expect. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to fit in this new country, new culture, and new school so quickly and so well. I am truly grateful to meet these incredible people at Carlson!

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? I chose the Carlson School largely based upon the curricular structure of balancing academics with experiential learning (‘Enterprise’) opportunities. I want to be in a program with a strong strategic marketing focus and a tight connection to real-world business. That is exactly what the Carlson Enterprise Program is offering.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I am most looking forward to Graduate Volunteer Consultants (GVC). This club will provide pro bono consulting services to local non-profit organizations. At Carlson, we always talk about “Business as a force for good.” I believe GVC will be a great starting point for us to actually implement and realize this idea.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? How would you contribute to our program?

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I have met lots of challenges as a female business professional in male-dominated industries back in China. My work with some clients did change their perspectives on young, female professionals in these industries, but there is still a long way to go. I believe the best step for me at this point is to become a stronger and more-influential business leader through MBA training and make the world a better place for working women with the efforts of all supportive individuals.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? University of Rochester, Southern Methodist University, University of Pittsburgh.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Schools’ employment reports. I pay special attention to the “employment by function” part, because I am looking for a more strategy-focused MBA program. Last year 75 percent of Carlson School graduates landed in marketing and consulting, which is much higher than other finance or business analytics focused schools.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? When I was working as an interpreter for a marketing team, I was fascinated by the complex yet exciting business world. Luckily, I got the chance to learn from the marketing team, start working with customers, lead small projects, and execute my own ideas about marketing. Through this experience, I have found where my real talent and passion is and made my smooth transition to a full-time business role.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? I see myself in the Twin Cities, working towards a director role, leading a passionate team, and constantly making the world a better place for working women.