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Jiang Wu spent her youth in Beijing, China, where she attended the Beijing Second Institute of Foreign Languages, earning a B.A in economics. After graduation she worked for two American companies in China, including a U.S. law firm where she worked as a legal assistant focusing on research and documentation for project finance and joint venture projects.
Wu was involved in some of the largest Asian project financing and joint venture transactions in the early 1990s, where she gained a great understanding from a legal perspective. Because of this experience, she had a strong desire to attend business school to acquire critical skills and gain greater insight into how businesses operate. She chose the SMU Cox MBA program because of its small size and location in Dallas, which would also allow her to experience America as an international student.
As a newcomer in the financial world, Wu says that the accounting and finance classes were most beneficial in helping her go from novice to expert, and laying the foundation for her career after graduation.
“Those courses provided me with the basic skills and methodology in financial analysis that I need to pursue a professional investment career,” she said. “On top of that, the case studies offered valuable insights in real-world practice.”
Wu credits SMU Cox, especially the Associate Board executive mentoring program, with helping prepare her for a career in the international investment arena.
“Talking to my mentors and getting advice from them helped me expand my horizons, improve my interviews skills, and develop a better understanding of the American culture, which was mind-opening for an international student,” Wu said.
Since earning her MBA from the Cox School in 2000, Wu has worked in venture capital in California and Hong Kong and strategic planning for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) for several Fortunate 500 companies in China. Wu said that when she started doing M&A work in 2002, there were not many professionals in that field, as international M&A activity was just “getting started” due to more restricted legal environment. Now she is an expert in the field of M&A for multinational companies in China.
Over the years, Wu has seen great changes in China’s economic environment, and she credits her Cox education for helping her succeed in the international M&A landscape.
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