Meet the MBA Class of 2024: Serena LI, CEIBS

Serena LI
China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)

“Woman in sports, goal-driven, challenge-seeker, assertive, cold-brew lover, smoky whisky fanatic, sporty.”

Hometown: Shanghai, China

Fun Fact About Yourself: Cold brew lover, even in wintertime. An NBA die-hard fan since I was a kid; never thought I would land a job in the sports world, but now have been working on bridging East and West through sports for the past six years and being a local representative for a group of NBA legends

Undergraduate School and Major: Kansas State University, Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications and Public Relations

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Sponsor Partnerships Manager, TEAM Marketing AG (Switzerland)

Aside from your classmates, what was the key programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The Integrated China Strategy Project (ICSP), which is a perfect example of CEIBS’ vision “China Depth, Global Breath”. The key objective of the program is to apply our leanings from class to the context of a real business in China. It is also worth mentioning, with CEIBS’ extensive network, a great level of high-quality sponsor companies will be invited to join the program, which provides a solid platform.

Given my past six-year professional experience was mainly sports marketing focused and based overseas, the ICSP is an excellent opportunity for me to explore different industries and functions in China from a deeper and more practical perspective.

What course, club or activity excites you the most? TEDxCEIBS is a local, student-led event which brings people together to share ideas. To organize an event like TEDxCEIBS is equivalent to run a start-up from scratch. It’s a challenging event in terms of balancing the relationship between key stakeholders to maximize the outcome, in addition, the pandemic adds another layer of complexity. Still, this event excites me the most since it provides us a great opportunity to leave a legacy for the CEIBS community and make an impact via delivering ideas worth spreading to a greater audience.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: Launched the first-ever China office for Wasserman, an international sports marketing and talent representation agency headquartered in Los Angeles, to expand its global footprints.

What is one thing you have recently read, watched, or listened to that you would highly recommend to prospective MBAs? Why? If your future goals are relatively China-focused, I strongly recommend having a read through and preferably understanding the key messages from the National Congress, namely the recent 20th National Congress of Chinese Communist Party, which indicates the market trends.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into CEIBS MBA program? Clarify your life goals and determine if and how the CEIBS MBA program could be helpful to achieve your goals. Would be great if your experience and future goals relate to the CEIBS vision of “China Depth, Global Breath.”

Read more profiles from the CEIBS MBA Class Of 2024.