Shanghai Career Trek

HNC Career Services Manager Hailey McGleam recently led 22 students to Shanghai for a comprehensive introduction to business development and geopolitical risk consulting. The trek brought together 13 international students and 9 Chinese students for a full day of meetings with international consulting companies in Shanghai. Students had the opportunity to hear from several Hopkins-Nanjing Center alumni about how they have been applying the skills they acquired during their time at the HNC in the workforce. 

First up, the group headed to Intralink in the Xuhui District. They were hosted by Daniel Kollar, MAIS '14, who is the current Deputy Managing Director of Greater China and the Global Head of Automotive, Mobility, and Supply Chains at Intralink. Intralink is a global business development consultancy that specializes in supporting international market expansion, particularly for technology companies in sectors like e-commerce, biotech, MedTech, and IT. The firm helps companies scale up their business and expand across regions such as China, East Asia, and Europe through services like market research, go-to-market strategy creation, partnership development, and in-country representation. They also support government trade and investment entities by providing sector reports, organizing overseas missions, and promoting trade and investment. HNC students were able to learn more about the skills they would need to be successful at a company like Intralink, and were encouraged by Intralink’s proclivity for hiring multilingual, culturally adaptive candidates who can navigate complex international ecosystems. Students also found it helpful to hear Mr. Kollar explain how he used his Mandarin and intercultural communication skills from his time at the HNC in his work at Intralink. 

Lunch break featuring Vietnamese food

After taking a short break for lunch and coffee, students headed to Control Risks in the Jing 'An District. Global Risk Analyst Chenyu Wu, SAIS' 21, helped arrange the visit, and students were able to hear from Mark Young, Director of Fraud and Forensics for the Greater China area, and Thomas Zhang, Director of Crisis and Security Consulting for Greater China. Control Risks is a global firm headquartered in London, with offices across Asia. Originally focused on kidnap risk advisory, the company now provides a broad range of services, including market intelligence, threat and regulatory assessments, geopolitical analysis, dispute advisory, security, crisis management, and business continuity planning. They specialize in protecting businesses from risks such as fraud, corruption, and conflicts of interest, offering investigative services like forensics, anti-corruption work, and vulnerability assessments. HNC students learned about the day-to-day work of the office, and Mr. Young shared his experience conducting forensic fieldwork around China. Control Risks shared career opportunities at the company, including internships in China, and students learned why businesses might hire Control Risks when they face risks they cannot handle internally, such as supply chain fraud or geopolitical instability.

 

Students then rushed to Shanghai Tower to meet with the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC). Navigating several sets of elevators to the office, Melinda Xu, HNC '13, VP of USCBC, and Ruiyue Sun, HNC '19, USCBC Membership and Programs Senior Manager greeted the HNC students. The USCBC focuses on trade policy advocacy and lobbying governments to open sector-specific markets in China. They facilitate bilateral commercial diplomacy and help resolve disputes and ensure reciprocal treatment for U.S. businesses operating in China. Additionally, the USCBC provides regulatory risk mitigation, policy analysis, compliance guidance, and support for multinational corporations navigating complex regulations to minimize operational disruptions. Seated in the conference room with stunning views of Shanghai, students received invaluable career and life advice from the HNC alums and the entire USCBC-Shanghai team. After providing an overview of USCBC’s history and mission, the team shared insights into day-to-day activities, emphasizing the importance of communication and cooperation between the world’s two largest economies. Students also learned about the internship process at USCBC and heard the staff’s perspectives on shifting paradigms in U.S.-China relations and their impact on U.S. businesses. 

Finally, students ended the day at APCO, hosted by recent alumni Sophia Pradels, MAIS '24, and Rui Cheng, MAIS '24, along with their APCO colleagues Nina Crunkhorn and Miumiu Jiang. APCO is a women-founded consultancy headquartered in Washington, D.C., and focuses on financial and geopolitical analysis, specializing in helping multinational corporations expand into China and assisting Chinese companies in going abroad. APCO’s services include policy monitoring, market research, stakeholder mapping and engagement, government affairs, and connecting companies with government stakeholders. They also offer media spokesperson training, crisis management, and communication strategies, including social media incident handling and key messaging. After learning about the company, HNC students were split into teams to consult on a mock case. Each team was supervised by an APCO staff member, and students collaborated to develop a proposal for the mock client, concluding the day by presenting their work to their peers and APCO staff. This hands-on experience was incredibly valuable and deepened students’ understanding of APCO’s daily operations and client engagement processes. 

After a long day of meetings, HNC students ventured into Shanghai, enjoying the lovely spring weather. The next evening, HNC alumni and current students gathered at Cages, a bar in Shanghai, for a happy hour and networking event—making connections, catching up with alumni from the trek, and trying out the arcade games, batting cages, and basketball courts inside. Overall, it was a wonderful and successful weekend in Shanghai—working hard and playing hard! 

Written by Hannah Bases MAIS '26