 |
As an undergraduate student at East China University of Science and Technology, A.J. Hu entertained the idea of starting his own business. After receiving his bachelor's degree in economics, however, he decided to pursue a corporate career, going to work in the marketing departments of Pepsi, American Standard, and Twenty Century Fox China.
After working for U.S. multinational companies, Hu decided to pursue his graduate degree at an American university. He chose SMU Cox because of its unique resources and programs, including the Associate Board executive mentoring program, the Global Leadership Program, and the Business Leadership Center. Throughout his career at Cox, these resources proved instrumental to his success.
After earning his MBA from Cox in 2001, Hu briefly returned to the corporate world, working as global marketing manager for Nokia and director of marketing for MTV/Viacom China before following his entrepreneurial spirit and creating his own company.
Hu credits SMU Cox with giving him the inspiration to start his own company, thanks to the professors and coursework that encourage students to step out of their comfort zones and find new paths.
"The idea of starting my own business had been in 'sleep' mode until my MBA studies at SMU Cox awakened it," said Hu. "The venture financing class I took encouraged me to step off the corporate career path and start my first business, The JLJ Group."
Founded in 2003, The JLJ Group helps international companies enter and grow in the China market by assisting them through each step of the process. Because Hu previously worked for several multinational companies, he understands the importance of a global marketplace. He credits Cox's Global Leadership Program with enabling him to instill a global vision in his company.
The JLJ Group now serves a broad range of clients, including Fortune 500 multinational companies, small and medium enterprises, government organizations, as well as individual investors. JLJ's service quality and comprehensive service portfolio has earned a strong reputation in the industry.
For now, Hu says that his priority is to develop The JLJ Group into the leading firm focused on helping businesses bridge the gap between East and West.
|
