Building China into Your Career: Expert Perspectives from the Classroom to the Workplace

新国贸饭店3层

Kim Fassler works in the Defense Attaché Office at ‎the US Embassy in Beijing. The office represents the US Department of Defense in China, manages military-to-military relations with the People's Liberation Army, and advises the Ambassador and US defense policymakers on political and security affairs in China. Prior to working at the Embassy, Kim worked as an analyst at the Defense Department in DC for five years. She earned her MA from SAIS and completed the certificate program at HNC in 2010. Originally from Hawaii, she also worked in journalism and public relations prior to starting her career with the US Government.

JONATHAN GARRISON | Vice President, Wanda Cultural Industries Group (HNC 2000)

Jon Garrison is a vice president with the Wanda Cultural Industries Group, where he manages ongoing international investments and partnerships. He also serves as board director with Sunseeker International, a luxury yacht manufacturer in Poole, England. In recent years Jon has been immersed in cross-border investments involving sports, media production, virtual reality and technology companies with deal total deal pipeline exceeding US$400 million. His area of focus has been deal origination, valuation and financial projections, as well as strategic integration of investment targets. Prior to his time serving as General Manager in the Investment Management Division at the Wanda Group in Beijing, Jon spent 10 years with Goldman Sachs as a Vice President leading top-performing teams in the Investment Management Division. Jon is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and has an extensive network in entertainment, real estate, finance, legal and technology circles in China and the U.S. He earned an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University and is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins-Nanjing University Center for Advanced International Studies.

SOPHIE LU | Head of China Research, Bloomberg New Energy Finance (SAIS MA 2011)

Sophie Lu is Head of China Research based in Beijing for Bloomberg New Energy Finance, with research covering clean energy financing, energy internet and innovation, as well as managing long term modeling of China’s energy sector and emissions trends. Previously, she has worked as a consultant on clean tech financing and natural gas risk management in Asia. She has also worked in finance and regulatory issues with Merrill Lynch and Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Ms. Lu was previously a Fulbright Scholar researching marine environmental governance in China. She holds a BA in Economics and a MA in International Finance and Energy Resources and Environment from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

OLIVER THEOBOLD | Operations Specialist, Alibaba, Hangzhou (HNC 2013)

Olly is an Australian national with over six years’ experience studying and working in China. Olly joined Alibaba in 2016 and currently works as an Operations Specialist, where he is responsible for website content strategy and marketing. Olly previously worked at the China-Australia Chamber of Commerce and is a proud alumni of the Hopkins-Nanjing Center (2012-2013). In his spare time, Olly devotes his time to sport and developing the website Asia Options to help other young people identify study and work opportunities in Asia.

ROBERT “ROBBIE” SHIELDS | Student Career Counselor, Johns Hopkins University – Nanjing University Center for Chinese and American Studies (MODERATOR)

Robbie Shields is the Student Career Counselor at the Johns Hopkins University – Nanjing University Center for Chinese and American Studies (HNC). He works to help HNC students and alumni identify and achieve their career goals, while also managing employer relations in the Asia Pacific region for the HNC and SAIS. Prior to joining the HNC in 2012, he worked at the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business Administration as an Advisor and Career Counselor. In addition to his work in education, Robbie has served as a clerk at the Federal Public Defender’s Office in Las Vegas, and the Alexandria Public Defender’s Office in Alexandria, Virginia. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Tennessee and a Doctor from the University of Florida.