Today we’d like to introduce you to Gene Hsu.
Gene, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in Atlanta, GA. When I was entering the 3rd grade, my father took a one-year sabbatical to teach Physics at Taiwan University, so I had one year of Mandarin Chinese education.
I graduated Georgia Tech with a Mechanical Engineering degree and received my first foreign assignment to Toronto, Canada in 1994.
I joined Motorola in 1999, the same time I began an MBA program at Georgia Tech, graduated in 2001 after the dot.com crash in 2000, then shortly after, the events of 9/11.
From 2002-2011, I worked for several MNCs, including Philips, all with responsibilities in Asia and Greater China. While I never discover the right career opportunity, I accumulated transferrable skills and experiences doing business in China.
In 2011, I receive my first China Expat assignment, Asia Pacific Sales Director for a German MNC.
Even though I was already in the 1% of 1%, an American with over 10 years of experience in China, fluent in Mandarin Chinese, and married to someone who was from Mainland China, I still didn’t have the right ATTITUDE, MINDSET and APPROACH to succeed when I received my first China Expat assignment.
I was myopic, I lacked awareness and there were many things I did not know (unknown unknowns).
Between 2012-2017, I worked as a consultant for MNC-Chinese SOE joint ventures in China. I taught cross-cultural management to Chinese executives thru Hong Kong University – Institute of China Business. I taught a Mindset for China Business to MBA students at several universities in Shanghai. And I started EME Career Consultants, a cross-cultural performance training, coaching and consulting company.
I also started two meetup groups in Shanghai as a marketing channel for EME that as grown organically to over 8K members and hosted over 200+ events since 2014.
In 2017, I decided to move back to the US. My parents had retired to Laguna Woods while I was in China, so my wife and I resettled in Irvine and I rebranded my business as EME China Consultants.
I recently published the CLD Podcast on iTunes.
In this podcast, I’ll be speaking directly to myself in 2011, and taking myself on a journey to DEVELOP the Essential Soft Skills That Matter (ESSTM), ADJUST my Attitude, Mindset and Approach (AMA Values), and TRAIN myself to become a Master of Cross-Cultural Performance.
CLD stands for China Leadership Dilemma.
For a China Expat or for anyone who has experienced any difficulties communicating with people from China, they can join me, as I train my younger self in 2011 to become a master of cross-cultural performance.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has been a very turbulent journey!
2006 – Fired from my job [because and while] I was living the US and my wife was living in Taiwan. My responsibilities had me traveling throughout Asia 200+ days/year, so I could spend more time with my wife was she in Taiwan, so she moved to Taiwan while I lived in the US. When she became pregnant, my company believed I was trying to force an assignment in Asia that they had NOT approved.
2007 – Lost a child during pregnancy with the first wife, whom I’d met in Taiwan in 1996, which I was a Country Manager, Taiwan for a US Mfg.
2007 – Divorce
2007-2011 – I was a Global Account Manager for Motorola at a Japanese company. After Apple launched the iPhone in 2007, Motorola worldwide sales declined YoY.
2011 – I was hired to be APAC Sales Director for a German Company. After I arrived in Shanghai, I discovered many internal conflicts of interest and corruption, so in 2012, I negotiated an amicable separation.
My current wife had quit her job in the US, and she was now happily employed in Shanghai, so I was forced to find something to do in China.
2013 – I worked as a freelance PMS consultant, but projects were also at the company site. My last project was in Nanjing. for 37 consecutive weeks, I took the 6:30 am train Monday morning from Shanghai to Nanjing and the 6:30 pm train from Nanjing to Shanghai.
2014 – I started EME with a local Chinese partner, who ended being the wrong partner. I separated and I continued to develop EME by myself in China.
2017 – My wife and I decided to family and personal reasons, it was time to come back to the US. We returned to the US and settled in Irvine, CA in May 2017.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
“My mission is to create an ECOSYSTEM for developing Essential Soft Skills That Matter (ESSTM) and applying them at the intersection of doing business in China”.
EME SERVICES ECOSYSTEM
• China Business Advisory & Consulting
• Cross-Cultural Negotiations
• Training Programs & Workshops
• Keynote Speaker & Events
• FREE Online Content (CLD NATION, CLD Podcast, Online Courses, Vlogs, and Lessons)
I’ve spent over 20 years leading people, projects and cross-cultural teams in APAC and China (from Applications Engineer to Founder and CEO). I’ve taught Cross-Cultural Management at Hong Kong University – Institute of China Business to Chinese business executives and MBA/EMBA students at several universities in Shanghai and the US since 2007. I am as American as football and apple pie, but I am also 100% fluent in Mandarin Chinese, so I fully assimilated into every cross-cultural interaction where I discovered the critical importance of EMPATHY and SELF-AWARENESS as the primary gateways into social acceptance and long-term success.
MY SPECIALIZATIONS:
• China Leadership Dilemmas (CLDs)
• Essential Soft Skills That Matter (ESSTM)
• Cross-Cultural Management TRAINING COURSES (in Chinese and English)
• Mindset for China Business WORKSHOPS
• Cross-Cultural Performance EXECUTIVE COACHING & MENTORING
• Cross-Cultural Performance KEYNOTE SPEAKER
I am most proud that I have applied everything that I teach, mentor and coach to my personal life and business.
And in less than one year, EME China Consultants and been rebranded and establish as a viable business in OC.
I have launched a free China Business 101 online course, CLD NATION Facebook Group, and CLD Podcast YouTube Channel and on iTunes. I’ve been a keynote speaker at ULCA Extension Program, and I’ve hosted several events in Irvine for the Orange County China Business Forum.
I was already in the 1% of 1% in 2011 when I received my first Expat assignment in China.
I have now added the Essential Soft Skills That Matter (ESSTM) to set myself apart even more as a China Expert, Advisor, and Executive Coach.
What were you like growing up?
A typical all-American kid growing up in the South.
I played all sports all year around. Baseball, football, basketball, soccer. I was the only Asian in my elementary school and high school, but I didn’t face much discrimination because I was good at sports.
Even though I graduated Georgia Tech with an engineering degree, I was always more suitable to be in front of an audience, not designing products.
I am late discovering social media because Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, etc. are all blocked by the Great Firewall of China.
I college, I was in a heavy metal rock band with long hair.
Pricing:
- My China Business Advisory & Consulting Services are $500/hour with minimum 20 hours to start.
- My workshop/keynote speaking fee is $2,500/90 minutes.
Contact Info:
- Address: 23332 Spectrum
Irvine, CA 92618 - Website: http://emechina.us
- Phone: (657) 333-5238
- Email: ghsu@emechina.us
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cldnation/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/justgene
- Other: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/china-leadership-dilemma-podcast/id1366595279
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
