“How can I forget the days at Cornell? The places I visited most were Olin Hall, Willard Straight, and Olin Library. It was during the tail end of the Vietnam War. I was a brother of the Sigma Nu fraternity. I was not able to sign up for the wine tasting class, as I applied too late, so I had to learn the subject later on my own during my business days. As I mentioned, I graduated in 1973 with a BS degree in chemical engineering, which I am very proud of. I later obtained an MS in chemical engineering from the University of Cincinnati, where my parents lived, and then an MBA from New York University.
“I joined a company called Lummus based in New Jersey, one of the leading companies in the world in providing refinery and petrochemical technologies, and also engineering, procurement, and construction for refineries and petrochemical plants. Because we have offices all over the world servicing a diverse global client base, I was able to travel to overseas frequently.
“When the Asia Pacific business started to pick up from 1990 on, I started to focus in the region. My company relocated me to Hong Kong in 1998, and in 2004 to Beijing, as China started to really take off. In 2007 our company was acquired by Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (CB&I), the world-leading infrastructure company, headquartered in Woodlands, Texas. (North of Houston is a tough place to be these days due to low oil prices.) CB&I has four Operating Groups, one of which is technology for refining, petrochemicals, and gas processing. I am VP of that Operating Group, and Managing Director for Greater China.
“I was actually born in Taiwan. My first trip to China was in 1984 on company business, but it was a rather exciting time for me, as I had always wondered what China was like (or how backward it really was). I believe I was one of the few “foreigners” (as I had been a US citizen for a long time) who traveled to China in those days. Therefore, I was also one of the few who actually saw the transformation of China.
“The story can go on and on. Yes, China’s GDP has been growing at double digits for the past 20+ years. We saw the construction of high-rise buildings in almost every major city, not just Shanghai. There were so many amazing transformations. People often ask me about what has impressed me the most. I would say “infrastructure.” The reason China able to grow at such a pace is because their infrastructure has been growing by leaps and bounds. Highways, seaports, airports, transportation hubs…the list can go on and on. China now has 60% of the world’s high-speed railway track, all laid within the past 10 years.
“Of course, I cannot conclude my short note without mentioning some of the negative products due to growth. Pollution is a huge issue, not only air quality, where people have seen most of the publicity, but also water quality, which is a real concern also.”
Are you a classmates living abroad? Or have you reconnected with the University after a long hiatus, or maybe for the first time? I’d like to hear about it and share your story with your classmates.