Heng Du

Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

“Rooted in Asian culture with a global vision. Passionate about business and innovation.”

Hometown: Beijing, China

Fun Fact About Yourself: Despite hating conflict in daily life, I am passionate about combat sports.

Undergraduate School and Major: Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, General Engineering and Computer Science

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Strategy&, PwC (Paris), Senior Associate.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key part of Cornell’s MBA programming that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? The possibility of enrolling in the Johnson Cornell Tech 1+1 program, which is one year on the Ithaca, New York, campus and one year in New York City. The multidisciplinary program setting is important to me.

What excites you the most about living in Ithaca and the Finger Lakes region? It’s a typical American college town with scenic views and proximity to nature.

What course, club or activity excites you the most at Cornell? Big Red Ventures (BRV) is Johnson’s student-run venture capital fund. As someone passionate about innovation and venture capital, I see contributing to BRV as a valuable opportunity to deepen my understanding of the innovation ecosystem and gain insight into investor operations.

Looking at your recruitment, what was the moment when you realized Johnson was the right program for you? Why? During my recruitment interview, a second-year student kindly introduced her work at BRV, providing an incredibly informative explanation. This conversation made me realize that Johnson’s interviewers aim to find a good match between the school and the candidate. Additionally, my interactions with alumni before joining the school highlighted the helpfulness of the alumni network. These experiences also gave me a better understanding of the opportunities at Cornell to connect with the technology ecosystem, ultimately driving me to choose the program.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: During my time at Strategy&, I contributed significantly to a major spinoff project involving a $10 billion revenue business and 20,000 employees. I played a key role in the HR work stream, greatly aiding in the HR restructuring efforts.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your MBA experience successful? I’m looking forward to active involvement in building my network and full engagement in enhancing leadership capabilities.

What advice would you give to help potential applicants gain admission into Cornell’s MBA program? Actively connect with current students and maintain an open mind to gain a thorough understanding of the program and university.

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