A funny thing happened on my way to getting a PhD. Fresh out of college, I was about to start a doctoral program in American Studies. My passion was studying literature in the context of history, to gain a more nuanced understanding of the “why” behind what people wrote. To catch my breath before going back to school, I took a short-term job in Greater China doing marketing research and planning. One day in Shanghai when I was in a local woman’s home interviewing her about her use of home appliances, I realized that marketing was going to be more than a short diversion. In exploring the topic of how well her refrigerator met her needs, she shared that getting fresh vegetables every day was a way she showed her love to her family, that her husband needed special foods because of his diabetes, and that she preferred going to the fishmonger at the far side of town because he had a darling smile. That afternoon, marketing became my path.Marketing became a real-life way for me to explore the “why” behind people’s behaviors and choices and to tell the stories that tie together market trends and customer requirements – and make the magic of connecting my company’s products with a person’s needs. Over my career I’ve managed B2B and B2C marketing for technology companies and helped them grow their businesses internationally. And I still love a great novel. AREAS OF EXPERTISE: • Strategic planning• Digital marketing• Consumer insights• Partnership marketing• International expansion• Marketing communications • Market research• Market assessments• Agency management• Product marketing• Mandarin ChineseADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE: • Cellular One (AT&T Wireless), Product Manager, South San Francisco, CA• Whirlpool Asia, Business Analyst, Singapore• Taipei American School, High School English & Social Studies Teacher, Taipei, TaiwanLANGUAGES:Fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese