Banking On China: A CEIBS Alum’s Big Bet That Paid Off

When Denise Pu turned down an offer of admission from Columbia Business School, her friends were surprised. 

A private banker in California, Pu was working with a client base that was predominantly Asian. In the wake of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the rapid rise of China’s economy, some of those same clients began asking the question: Why not study in China?

“I had never considered it,” she says. “But I literally Googled ‘top business school in China’ from my desk — and CEIBS came up.”

‘I WANTED TO GROW WITH THE SCHOOL’

Born in Taiwan and raised in Palo Alto, Pu had a straightforward career goal: build a career in finance. Her decision to enroll at CEIBS wasn’t about taking the road less traveled — it was about heading straight toward the action.

“I wanted to grow with the school,” she says. “It was younger, a little riskier, but it was also in Shanghai — a global city, but still connected to the heart of China’s transformation.”

Once at CEIBS, she immersed herself in student life. Just two weeks in, she ran for student committee and became the school’s first female MBA student committee president. “The ability to vote for your peers, to organize, to lead — that was a powerful experience,” she says.

After graduating, she landed roles in private and corporate banking at Morgan Stanley and ANZ, based in Hong Kong. She later moved into leadership roles in Southeast Asia, helping a tech firm prepare for IPO, before returning to Shanghai to launch her own advisory firm.

Throughout, she remained closely connected to CEIBS: helping with recruiting events, serving as a mentor, and contributing to alumni activities. 

“I’ve mentored four students officially — and a few unofficially,” Pu says. “It’s never just about coursework. It’s about how to balance everything: the academics, the career moves, your personal life, your purpose.”

A SECOND HOME

Looking back, Pu acknowledges that her own MBA experience might have benefited from more exploration. “I was laser-focused on continuing in banking, and it worked out. But I sometimes wonder — what if I had tried something totally different during the program?”

Yet 12 years after graduating, CEIBS still feels like home.

“Every time I have a new idea or career shift, I come back here first,” Pu says. “The relationships I built, the mentors I had, the campus itself — it’s where this part of my journey really began.”

She urges prospective students to come to CEIBS with curiosity, not expectations. “Leave your assumptions behind. If you’re open to it, this place can change you — not just professionally, but personally,” she says.

DON’T MISS CEIBS AT A CROSSROADS: CHALLENGES & GLOBAL AMBITIONS FOR CHINA’S PREMIER B-SCHOOL and THE P&Q INTERVIEW: ZHANG WEIJIONG, CO-DEAN OF CHINA EUROPE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS SCHOOL