Iris Yeqing LU

China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)

“Born and raised in Shanghai, studied in NYC, worked in financial advisory and strategic investment for 7 years.”

Hometown: Shanghai, China

Fun Fact About Yourself: I love sports. I have completed the Taipei and Shanghai half-marathons and am on my way to conquering more cities.

Undergraduate School and Major: Finance – Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York University

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Investment Director, Play For Dream Inc.

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 is very strong in the area of entrepreneurship studies in China, famous for its courses in entrepreneurial management, its eLab Camp to cultivate potential entrepreneurs, and its Entrepreneur Camp targeted specifically at entrepreneurs in China. I am personally very interested in venture capital investment in start-up companies and would also like to explore the entrepreneurial opportunities in joining a start-up after graduation. So, I am particularly eager to learn more about entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial management and entrepreneurship in general during the MBA program.

What is the biggest appeal of earning an MBA in China? China is one of the fastest-growing countries in the world, and I believe it will continue to grow and eventually become the world’s largest economy in the next few years. The large population base, fast-changing consumer needs, rapidly-developing technology environment all lay the foundation for China’s robust growth, which I for sure don’t want to miss out on. That’s why I chose to earn my MBA degree in China to explore more career, business and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: During my tenure at Oaklins HFG China, a boutique investment bank specialized in cross-border M&A, I successfully initiated and organized an “Explore China” roadshow to bridge the gap between Chinese enterprises looking to invest overseas and foreign companies looking for partners in China. With the help of the team, we managed to present more than 180 target companies from the US, UK, Italy, France, Germany, and Switzerland to 12 acquisitive Chinese enterprises, two of which successfully transitioned into buy-side mandates.

From brainstorming the idea, coordinating with eight overseas Oaklins member firms, and extending invitations to C-level executives of Chinese enterprises, to the final execution of the roadshow, I not only demonstrated leadership capability as the organizer of the event, but also offered a global perspective to Chinese enterprises while at the same time bringing local insights to foreign investment banks. This very first Explore China Roadshow was so successful that it has become an annual event hosted by Oaklins HFG China afterwards.

Describe your biggest accomplishment as an MBA student so far? I’ve always challenged myself. Almost all of my past working experience focused on the areas of finance and investment. After I joined CEIBS, I saw many inspiring classmates with different backgrounds in various industries. I thought it would be a great opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and get to know more about different industries to broaden my perspective. Thus, I joined the leadership team of the Industrial Products and Services Club as the Vice President. By organizing company visits to manufacturing plants, inviting guest speakers to share industry insights in the chemical industry, and co-hosting events with other clubs, I not only learned a lot of new knowledge in a new area but also sharpened my communication skills and leadership capability.

What quality best describes your MBA classmates and how do they demonstrate this quality in your interactions? My MBA classmates are a group of very talented and hard-working people, inspiring and very willing to help others. During class and group discussions, many classmates always present their unique understanding of different industries, express insightful views towards various topics, and ask intellectually stimulating questions.

During the exam weeks, my classmates are very willing to help others with questions in different courses, and share with each other reviewing notes and mind map that help fellow classmates learn more effectively and efficiently. Moreover, all of my classmates are very willing to help each other in terms of job and intern searching. Many are willing to make the reference calls or introduce new opportunities to other classmates. All of these attributes demonstrated by my fellow classmates have made me wanting to be a better self. The MBA journey so far helped me achieve my personal growth, build up both soft skills and hard skills for career advancement, and establish strong connection to the CEIBS community, all of which are invaluable resources for me.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I also applied to HKUST and NUS. However, I chose to come to CEIBS because it offers both China depth and global depth, which no other business schools in the world can offer.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? After seven years of working, I felt I had hit a bottleneck in my career and lost passion in my comfort zone. An MBA would help me gain more knowledge towards higher management positions, build up an extensive network with alumni, and reorganize my thoughts about what I would like to do in the future. I do think it’s the right decision that I chose to pursue my MBA at this point of my career to challenge myself and look for more opportunities that are interesting to me.

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