Alan LIU

China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)

“A Lee Kuan Yew gold medalist who constantly searches for uncertainties and challenges.”

Hometown Nanjing, China

Fun Fact About Yourself: I once watched the movie Wall Street five times in a day.

Undergraduate School and Major: Electrical and Electronics Engineering – Nanyang Technological University

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Investment Relations Manager, HNA Group

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? I was first impressed by CEIBS’ slogan “China Depth, Global Breadth,” which I believe is a good match for my international education and work experience. Furthermore, when I spoke to alumni from different MBA programs, I realized that CEIBS is positioned as the best business school in Asia for young talent who want to rebrand and take their career to the fullest potential. With a strong connection with EMBA community, CEIBS provides MBA students a great opportunity to further explore the China market from the perspectives of senior executives in different industries.

What is the biggest appeal of earning an MBA in China? If we look at the GDP per capita number, it took 36 years for the United States to move from $1,000 to $10,000 (USD) while it took only 18 years for China to do the same. I believe what really compels me is the fast-developing Chinese economy and the potential boom in its financial industry. An MBA in China can provide first-hand exposure to the Chinese market and a closer connection with Chinese business leaders.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: In 2018, HNA Group was facing a huge liquidity crisis and everyone in the company was in panic. As a senior supervisor in the investment banking division back at that time, I initiated a deal to sell an A-share listed company. After several rounds of analyzing and verifying, we closed the sale of a listed company worth 5.3 billion RMB.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? I was elected as the President of the Student Ambassador Program and led a team of 17 to organize the signature student reception event last December. The event attracted 85 on-site participants and 3,529 live viewers. The video from the event got 210,000 likes on social media.

What quality best describes your MBA classmates and how do they demonstrate this quality in your interactions? The pursuit of excellence. It really surprised me when I saw classmates who got straight A’s, led student clubs, participated in multiple competitions, and received internship offers at the same time. Their pursuit of excellence constantly motivates me to reach my full potential.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Cornell-Tsinghua Finance MBA

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I was looking for an opportunity to transition my career.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE CIEBS MBA CLASS OF 2022