This week, we asked one of our first trimester MBA students, Ann Yifan Wong, to share a little about herself and what she carries in her backpack.
What kind of bag do you carry?
I would love to carry different style of bags to fit my different life style everyday. For instance, canvas messenger bags for leisure time; multifunctional mountaineering bag for hiking; independent designer leather tote for workdays. Of course, nowadays, my basic life track is “IBIC-Snell-Lecture Hall” triangle, hence the classical Thunderbird backpack is my standard equipment!
What is your home country?
I come from China, a multicultural country. In my mind, China is just like an inclusive, elegant, mysterious lady and she has unlimited stories to tell. If you want to understand China, a lifetime is not even enough.
Where did you earn your undergraduate degree and what was your major?
I got a B.S. in Psychology and a double degree in Marketing. I spent my amazing four-year campus life in Wuhan University. It has the most beautiful views and the most refundable cultural heritage among China’s universities. Last year was my alma mater’s 125th Anniversary.
Did you work before coming to Thunderbird? If so, where?
Yes. I have worked in the Top 1 Internet Company in China as a product manager for five years. What makes me most proud, was being part of the R&D team, which developed one of the most successful Internet products. Our product, QQ, owns one billion users. I also was an initial team member of a mobile Internet product, built up the account system and user relationship chain of the product, WeChat Version1.0. My life in the Internet industry was highly fast-paced. The agile development working style and the information explosion forced me to learn new knowledge every day. Two years before I came Thunderbird, I changed my working focus to business development and corporate social responsibility area.
What is your favorite part of Thunderbird so far?
Well, My favorite part so far is the “family” relationship of all T-Birds in our program. Which helped me adapt to the abroad study and life in such a short period of time. Every moment spent with them is more than AWESOME.
What are you hoping to do when you leave Thunderbird and graduate?
I do love the innovative and flexible working style in IT industry, therefore, I will probably keep the path and find a BD opportunity in a Global Internet company, focusing on the multinational product management. Since the knowledge of global marketing strategy might be one of my key takeaways from Thunderbird, I believe I will be confident to embrace the new challenges. If the timing is right, I will found my own Mobile Internet product start-up company.
What are the three most interesting things in your backpack?
In my backpack, the three most interesting things are:
1. GoPro. I believe even the best memory management cannot compete with a dumb video recorder. This little, smart, portable camera is the best choice for me to take along all the time.
2. The Midori Traveller’s Notebook. I use it to record my mood and feelings during travel. I like to stick tickets, stamps, receipts, and everything interesting in this notebook.
3. Lamy Safari Pen. You can call me Miss Old-school, but I feel much comfortable when I use ink and pen instead of other modern convenient stationery.