Fast Talk: China Rising

Think Globally, Connect Locally

Shi Yu, 31

Partner, Unknown Space
Beijing
MBA: Beijing International MBA

I was recruited as a network infrastructure researcher for Nokia, and after two years I transferred to the marketing department because it's more interesting to deal with customers than with machines. The company responded slowly to the Chinese market. Our competitor was improving its product very quickly. It was small, local, and its R&D was local. Our R&D was in the United States, and the communication channels between marketing and R&D weren't good. Multinational companies should provide opportunities for people working in different areas to meet and establish relationships. Sometimes business isn't pure business: You want a personal or emotional connection.

For me, one of the frustrating things about working in a global company was that I felt like a worker in a production line. I am the kind of person who likes to make decisions; I like to be in charge of my future. A friend of mine approached me in 2004 with his business idea, and we cofounded a company based on an online community called Unknown Space for Chinese who live overseas. Thus, we didn't have to start from scratch. We developed other Web sites for it, such as online dating and job recruiting. We were attracted to the growing number of Chinese who can afford to go to school overseas. The online-dating site is already profitable, and we have expanded domestically, too.

We believe in a way of doing business that generates more return for stakeholders. We don't just mean investors. "Stakeholders" has a wider meaning. It includes investors, creditors, customers, employees, communities, suppliers, and societies. Serving all of them is our goal.

Bridge East and West

Lulu An, 29

Associate, AdMedia Partners
New York, New York
MBA: Columbia

I grew up in Harbin, a very cold city that's close to Russia, on a university campus. My mom taught chemistry there and would give me enough freedom to do whatever I wanted; I would take the bus to visit my grandmother by myself when I was just 4 years old. I didn't realize until later on that such independence was built into my blood. I started my own advertising agency when I was 22. Every day, I woke up thinking about how I could get clients, pay people, and grow the business. I had to be a servant, trying to make my employees happy, my suppliers happy, and of course, my clients happy. I take a lot of pride in the path I chose. Dealing with that kind of pressure and developing a practical attitude is not something you can get from second-hand experience.

The advertising industry in China still has a lot of room for improvement -- in particular, in market research, which is really in its infancy. One of the obstacles is the audience: the people who would answer questions on a regular basis. People aren't used to the concept of market research, so it's really hard to collect data. It's a great opportunity because it's so difficult to get into.

Ideally, I want to be a bridge between Eastern and Western cultures. The uniqueness of China is that because its culture is a mystery to outsiders, local expertise is extremely valuable, and that's something that Chinese companies can bring to the table. The foreign companies have advanced skills. Partnerships between the two will make it easier to explore the Chinese markets and help Chinese companies play at the global level.