Celine CHEN JIANJUN
China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)
Age: 48
“I’m a purpose-driven leader with a proven track record in inspirational, responsible management.”
Hometown: Shanghai, China
Family Members: 3
Fun fact about yourself: I’m always interested in trying out new things and gaining new qualifications. In recent years I’ve become certified as a professional coach, a spinning instructor, graphic facilitator and more. It’s linked to my sense of purpose; I like having the ability to make a positive physical and mental impact on the people in my life.
Undergraduate School and Degree: Bachelor of Food Science – Shanghai University
Where are you currently working? General Manager, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care China
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles:
DEI Chairperson of J&J China
Listed in 2024 Top 20 Woman Power hosted by Pangjing.cn
Which academic or extracurricular achievement are you most proud of during business school? I’m very proud of my efforts in promoting and encouraging female leadership in both my company and the CEIBS school community. I’m the female leadership ERG sponsor for Johnson & Johnson China, and I was fortunate enough to be a panelist at the Women Leadership Forum and various activities held by the CEIBS Global EMBA Women Leadership Club. I’ve always tried to lead by example to encourage every woman unleash their potential no matter their age and career stage.
What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career? The past three years have taught me so much about how to deal with uncertainty and unexpected challenges in business. This period was constantly punctuated by COVID-related crises, but I’m proud to have used my learning and capabilities to consistently react with resilience to these difficulties. Increasingly, things don’t go as expected in modern business, so it’s imperative to maintain a clear strategy focus, stay agile in its execution, and always create a secure base for your team. This is what the pandemic years taught me, and my Global EMBA program experience was crucial in giving me that resilience and broader strategic thinking.
Why did you choose this school’s executive MBA program? As I’m working for an MNC in China, I wanted to experience a more diverse business culture by actively working with some of the best and brightest students and professors from around the world. This is what made the CEIBS Global EMBA Programme the best fit for me. Thanks to the diverse professional and personal backgrounds of my peers and professors, they opened my eyes to wider business realities, and gave me the opportunity to hone my inclusive leadership skills.
What is the biggest lesson you gained during your MBA and how did you apply it at work? The biggest lesson I gained is how to turn strategy into action. Based on my learnings about strategy, marketing and leadership, I was better equipped to shape our business strategy regarding the introduction of a new line of beauty contact lenses in China, engaging and influencing the key stakeholders and taking action in our NPI and investment execution. Our business results, including a growing market share, have been strong and I attribute much of this success to my CEIBS Global EMBA learning journey.
Give us a story during your time as an executive MBA on how you were able to juggle work, family, and education? Completing an EMBA while managing a high-powered business position and a busy home life is always a balancing act. You’re constantly having to make adjustments and prioritizations, often with very little time to decide. One thing I purposefully did during my Global EMBA was to be open and forthright with my team. If I needed time for family or my studies, I was clear with them about my needs and reasons, rather than trying to take on everything myself. Delegation was key; I knew I needed to trust my team. I realized that I wasn’t central to absolutely everything happening at work, and that it was okay to let my teammates support me, so I could better support them in the long run.
What advice would you give to a student looking to enter an executive MBA program? Be very clear with yourself about your goals before entering any EMBA program. Take the time to reasonably reassure yourself that the ethos and purpose of the program is a good fit for your personality and your purpose. This will be vital when the pressure is on and you’re facing all the challenges from balancing work, family, and studies.
What was your biggest regret in business school? Due to the pandemic, I was not able to join any overseas modules during my Global EMBA studies. When the borders re-opened, I had to cope with all the global visitors coming to China, so I had to ask for periods of absence from school several times. Accordingly, I do feel that I missed out on some unforgettable learning experiences, but I’m hoping to make up for lost time as a CEIBS alumna.
Which MBA classmate do you most admire? Fabien Audon was such an inspiration to me. Not only did he have the highest GPA in our cohort, but he also made original and thought-provoking points in class and during assignments. In all my interactions with him, he was always a very calm and deep thinker, and whenever he spoke, he would always cut right to the heart of the matter.
What was the main reason you chose an executive MBA program over part-time or online alternatives? I wanted to improve my ability to make the right business decisions in challenging situations. I felt that studying for an EMBA with world-class peers was the best way to do that. Before joining the program, I made decisions based on my experience and intuition; I didn’t have a holistic view that I could follow all the way from an initial strategy, to taking action, to assessing the final impact. Now I have a systematic framework for doing this, and I have the real-life experiences of other world professionals to draw on for inspiration.
What is your ultimate long-term professional goal? I want to be a global leader who can grow any business by empowering others. I used to think about my career in a very China-centric way. Now, I view APAC, Europe, the USA, and other regions, as viable directions to consider. I want to be the kind of leader who can inspire anyone to achieve their goals and create teams that bring out the best in every member. Diversity is a fact, but inclusion is a choice.
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