Meet USC Marshall’s MBA Class Of 2021

Minxing Zhao 

University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business

“Strive to become a new generation of Chinese entrepreneur with high standards of business ethics.”

Hometown: Jinan, Shandong (China)

Fun Fact About Yourself: I can hold my breath for 4 minutes and 27 seconds. 

Undergraduate School and Major: University of California, Los Angeles/ Business Economics

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Shenghuaweiye Real Estate Development Company, Ltd. Legal Dispute Consultant & Coordinator

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I helped my family business to overturn a series of fraudulent civil lawsuits and sent the criminal minds behind them to jail, saving 30 million USD worth of assets.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? Collaborative. Through orientation and team-building events, it is very easy to perceive the message that Marshall wants to deliver – we differentiate ourselves by creating a collaborative working environment with a high standard of inclusiveness and integrity. We fight as one in this business world.

Aside from your classmates, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you? The amazing responsiveness of the alumni network. I have experience communicating with USC alumni and their willingness to help always amazes me. Through many attempts to communicate with various B-schools during my application process, the current students and alumni at Marshall never disappoint. From my own experience, only Marshall alumni and students have a 100% response rate after receiving my email and all the emails are written in-depth.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I’m excited to join various clubs, such as Marshall Consulting & Strategy Club, Marshall Interactive Gaming Association, Entrepreneur & Venture Management Association, and many, many, other alumni network events to learn about the opportunities in other industries.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? “How will your career gap affect your career path?”

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I need time to reflect, reposition and re-evaluate who I am and to learn about how to make the transition.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? Columbia University, NYU Stern, Cornell University Johnson, University of California, Berkeley Haas

How did you determine your fit at various schools? I prioritized school and program culture during my research and I also value school reputation, ranking, and location. I researched culture based on my conversations with various alumni from these institutions since I’m lucky enough to have good friends from each of these B schools.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I had the opportunity to work with my father, a lifelong entrepreneur and to fight on his side during the past three years. I observed the struggles, betrayals, crimes, and doubts that were ultimately solved by the trustworthiness and integrity that my father demonstrated during his entire life and the wonderful outcome that followed.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? I see myself as an adventurous leader who delivers creative products and who values integrity and friendship at heart.

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