MBA

Profiles

Bei Guo, MBA 2010

As an analyst at Citigroup in Japan, Bei Guo gained firsthand experience on the impact of equity capital markets on Asian business. "There are many excellent companies in Japan," Bei says, "and China is on a growth path in which it's developing business models that had never existed before."

"But I had no experience outside of Asia," says Bei. "An HBS MBA would expose me to the culture of the West. And it would give me an opportunity to round out my financial experience with skills in other areas, such as marketing, strategy, and negotiations."

From skepticism to speaking openly

Bei confesses that she was "initially skeptical about the case method. But HBS does a great job transitioning students to a speaking mode." She is especially appreciative of the Learning at HBS class that prepares students for case study method. "How do you bring 90 students from different backgrounds into one place where it's safe to speak freely? Right away, we talked about the most sensitive topics: race, ethnicity, political correctness. After going through that, we felt we had nothing left to worry about!"

"HBS builds a classroom experience that's similar to the business world," Bei observes. "You have to convince others of your ideas. If you can do that here, you become confident you can do it in business, too."

Many cases are supplemented with a special surprise: guest appearances by the case protagonists themselves. "When they're in front of you, talking about their challenges, the cases become even more real," Bei says. "You see the enthusiasm and passion in people. You see what it really takes to lead."

Expanding her horizons

In January, Bei participated in HBS' first IXP trip to Israel with more than forty other students and faculty. "It was amazing to see such a small country, in the middle of a war, so engaged with entrepreneurship," Bei says. "They don't have oil or other natural resources; brain power is their resource, so they invest heavily in education, R&D and venture capital." With her colleagues, she visited businesses that ranged in size from a start-up "that began in a hotel room with a couple of laptops" to a large manufacturer that was developing a new, much less expensive coronary artery stent.

Bei's summer internship will provide her first job in China — as a consultant with McKinsey in Shanghai. "The position," Bei says, "will help me integrate what I've learned at HBS, in strategy, operations, and marketing."

Once she completes her MBA, Bei foresees a few years of working with other businesses before starting her own venture. "It's all a matter of timing," she says. Her dream business involves design and fashion retail in China. "There are many mature models in the West," says Bei, "but there are lots of fresh opportunities in China."