Max Hinchman 

CEIBS (China Europe International Business School)

“I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” 

Hometown: Lodi, California

Fun Fact about Yourself: I started a cryptocurrency valuation blog, Block Street Journal, with another CEIBS classmate. We analyze lesser known projects that are backed by reputable investors to try to get a better understanding of the crypto world beyond Bitcoin.

Undergraduate School and Major: University of California, Berkeley – Japanese Language

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: M&R Co. – Export Manager

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: The biggest accomplishment in my career so far was being able to build up the export department at my previous job from essentially zero to $17.5million USD in annual sales in 4 years. This role gave me the opportunity to regularly travel to visit clients throughout East Asia in order to establish market share. Agriculture is not a target industry for most young people, but I know that I would not have been able to have this much international exposure in any other job. Also, this job had so many elements of entrepreneurship just because our department was starting from the ground floor. This is definitely what made it so challenging and there were definitely a few times that I thought about quitting. However, I knew that I was given a rare opportunity to lead a department at my age, so I knew that quitting was not an option. In the end, it was a great feeling to look back after four years and to see that my original vision came to fruition. The biggest reward for me, though, was the lessons that I learned and the skills that I developed. I know I will use the lessons that I learned in teamwork, effective communication, and leadership for the rest of my life.

What is the biggest appeal of earning an MBA in China? The 5,000-year history combined with the breakneck growth of the last 30 years has resulted in one of the most exciting places in the world. Doing an MBA in China not only offers a first-hand look into the business environment in China, but also an understanding of the culture and the people. It is such a dynamic, complex, and fast-changing place that it requires living in China to be able to understand China. The importance of China to the world economy – and China’s influence on the world – is only going to continue to grow. An MBA in China will help you develop the skill sets needed to succeed doing business in China or with Chinese companies. This is undoubtedly an asset that will only increase in value going into the future.

What quality best describes your MBA classmates and why? Fascinating. My class consists of 23 different nationalities and everyone had a lot of international exposure before coming to CEIBS. Everyone has their own unique interests and talents, so we all have a lot to offer. The class size at CEIBS is smaller compared to other business schools, so we have an opportunity to get to know everyone in the class. This is what makes the experience here at CEIBS so rich. It is just a lot of fun being around people every day that come from all different walks of life. The discussions during class are always engaging because everyone brings a unique take on the topic. Our experiences definitely shape our perspectives and I personally have already changed for the better as a result of getting to know my classmates.

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? My goal was to learn more about doing business in China, so I was excited when I discovered that a core part of the CEIBS curriculum is the Integrated China Strategy Project (ICSP). The ICSP is a four-month group consulting project that students do on behalf of CEIBS sponsor firms. Companies currently operating in China come to CEIBS and look to current CEIBS students to develop a solution to a problem that the company is facing. There are companies from every industry, each with their own unique perspective on the business environment in China. Having the opportunity to learn about business in China outside of the classroom is exactly what I was looking for, so I am looking forward to starting the project next year.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? INSEAD

What do you see yourself doing ten years from now? Being at the forefront of the development of the crypto asset world.