Keys To China

Summary:

Profile:

• Driven to learn, understand, research and answer. Proactive, self-motivated, independent, assertive and confident.
• Leadership and teamwork skills highly developed from 6 years in the US Army and 6+ years of business in China.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills, refined sense of lateral and abductive reasoning.
• Detail oriented without losing focus or perspective.
• Broad range and depth of knowledge of China, including business, markets, laws, politics, languages, psychology, culture, history, geography, etc., both modern and historical.
• Passed the Business Chinese Proficiency Test with 4/5 in listening & reading and 3/5 in speaking & writing.

 

Work Experience:

General Manager, FHCSR                                             Shanghai & Wukang, China, Jul 2008 – Present

• Develop a new business of fine hand-woven silk rugs and other high quality handmade luxury art goods.
• Increase revenue and profits for employer while maintaining customer satisfaction of quality and price. 100% of customers have done repeat business.
• Monitor the business environment to ensure implemented capabilities are employed to maximum potential.
• Drive 100% of sales by selecting customers and help them to develop an interest and understanding in the products as well as negotiate and inspect purchases, shipping and delivery.

 

Team Lead, Evalueserve Business Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.      Shanghai, China, Jun 2006 – Jun 2008

• Lead up to 5 projects simultaneously with 10 staff under my supervision at all times. Accomplished all aspects of each project: initial client contact, proposal development, resource management, conduct research and interviews, promote client contact, quality check deliverables and invoicing. All functions performed maintained and exceeded client satisfaction with turnaround times of 5 to 500 hours.
• Develop, nurture, maintain and exceed highest client relations and expectations from around the world while balancing resources, quality and accuracy. Clients frequently contacted me directly to initiate later engagements, rather than go through usual sales channels.
• Increase team productivity through storyline, timeline, deliverable templates and checklists for developing thorough industry, market or company profiles.
• Conduct continual developmental training, counsel and advise subordinates on personal and professional growth.
• Achieved a broad understanding of industries in China including textiles, pharmaceuticals & medical equipment, HR resources and training market, chemical, and automotives from researching and writing in-depth and detailed company profiles, market studies & assessments, industry trackers & studies and partner searches.

 

Student Assistant, Davis Research Library, UNC-CH                         Chapel Hill, NC, Jan 2004 – May 2006

• Conceive, initiate, implement and maintain a well-organized system of classifying and sorting several thousand items of backlogged and/or unable to be cataloged material.
• Catalog Chinese books, journals, DVDs and other printed material, on all topics, from massive databases in simplified and traditional characters, using data and standards from international library networks and databases with near 100% accuracy.
• Check and verify the completeness and accuracy of entries in previously cataloged material.

 

Intern, Beijing Olympics Organizing Committee                                          Beijing, China, Feb – Jun 2005

• Research foreigner-friendly maps to determine what information should be included and how to present it.
• Led a team of journalists and graduate students to research and analyze tourist maps of Beijing as well as conduct interviews to develop a foreigner-friendly map for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

 

Teacher, Web International English Training Center                            Shanghai, China, Jul 2002 – Jul 2003

• Instruct small groups of students in various levels of fluency on practical oral English application.
• Develop material in collaboration with coworkers for a new language school in Shanghai.

 

Military Experience:

Sergeant, Psychological Operations, US Army                                Fort Bragg, NC, Apr 1996 – Mar 1999

• Induce, modify and reinforce attitudes, behaviors and actions in a target audience as well as promote public diplomacy in the interest of the United States.
• Research cultures in a variety of methods and analyze the most appropriate course of action for all parties involved in a timely fashion.
• Contribute to the development and distribution of printed and other media, to assist the local population in understanding the mission of the United States forces in their area.
• Lead Tactical PsyOp Teams with 3 - 12 soldiers on various missions around the world, including the Korean Peninsula, Germany and Ecuador.
• Vetted by multiple federal agencies for a secret-SCI security clearance.

 

Private First Class – Sergeant, Cavalry Scout, US Army                    Fort Bragg, NC, Jan 1993 – Apr 1996

• Liberate Haiti during ‘Operation Restore Democracy’ and earned several citations.
• Earn ‘Soldier of the Month’ on three occasions and competed for ‘Soldier of the Year’ at division level.

 

Education:

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill                                   Chapel Hill, NC, Aug 2003 – May 2006

• Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy with a second major in Asian Studies: Chinese

 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Conducted, supervised and analyzed several surveys and investigations in both real-world and academic settings.
• Willing to make responsible decisions while trying to come to the most productive and actionable conclusion for all parties involved.
• Live in China for 8 years to experience and assimilate the local culture. Experience in 20+ different countries for varying amounts of time, from North and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and the Pacific Rim.
• Skilled in disaggregating problems, including determining steps necessary to complete, possible difficulties or obstacles, and consequences inherent in the solution.
• Self-taught in several languages, including Mandarin Chinese (proficient), literary Chinese & German (competent) and Wu dialect, Thai, Tagalog, Japanese & Korean (basic).

 

Other:

• Highly effective and efficient use of computers and software, including Microsoft Windows and Office.
• Enjoy a wide variety of sports including badminton, mountain biking, fencing, go-karting, archery and parachuting.
• Have competed in several marathons, twice finishing in less than three hours.
• Earned PADI Open Water Scuba diver qualification.
• Successfully completed almost 400 jumps from an aircraft while in flight.