Recently, Professor Mike Mazzeo, Dean of Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, was invited to visit and exchange ideas at three alumni enterprises: SUNTO Technology, Roche and BeOne. During the visits, he gained in-depth insights into industrial innovation practices and discussed new opportunities for business development and talent cultivation in the AI era.
The enterprises on Dean Mike Mazzeo’s visit include pioneering domestic Chinese innovators as well as large multinational corporations with long-standing presence in the Chinese market. While the two types of enterprises face vastly different development opportunities and challenges, their shared management imperatives and talent demands embody the founding aspiration and mission of the Fudan University-Washington University EMBA Program: rooted in China, to cultivate outstanding business leaders for global enterprises. Dean Mike Mazzeo remarked after the site visits that every trip to China brings fresh perspectives, and this feeling has been especially strong amid the AI wave, further strengthening his conviction in the Program’s mission.
SUNTO Technology: Exploring Innovation Drivers in the Semiconductor Industry
Dean Mike Mazzeo, together with faculty, students and alumni of the Program, visited and held exchanges accompanied by Wang Haiyan, Deputy General Manager of Shanghai SUNTO Semiconductor Technology Co., Ltd. and a student from Cohort 23 of the Fudan University-Washington University EMBA Program. Gan Wan, General Manager of SUNTO Technology, systematically analyzed the industrial landscape and technical barriers of high-purity fluid equipment for the semiconductor industry, and elaborated on the enterprise’s self-developed core technologies and innovation breakthroughs.
Faculty, students and alumni gained in-depth insights into the company’s cutting-edge practices in product R&D, global layout and brand building. During the discussion, the group engaged in in-depth conversations covering industrial and supply chain layout, global market expansion strategy, and technological R&D and innovation.
Students and alumni on the visit commented that the trip allowed them to truly experience the core strength and innovation confidence of China’s domestic semiconductor industrial chain. Shengtao Technology’s in-depth work on core technologies and product innovation has also offered highly valuable inspiration and reflections for the long-term sustainable development of their respective companies.
Roche China: AI Empowers Organizational Innovation and Leadership
At the invitation of Wang Lei, Alumni of the Fudan-Washington University EMBA Program, Vice President of Talent & Organizational Culture at Roche Pharmaceuticals China and Head of Integrated Talent & Organizational Culture for Roche China, Dean Mike Mazzeo visited Roche China together with faculty, students and alumni of the Program.
Alumni Wang Lei shared that Roche China is leveraging AI to revitalize the organization and build a tiered and categorized leadership development system. Drawing on its self-developed intelligent assistants, the company has effectively embedded AI into daily workflows. Digital and intelligent tools are used to boost collaboration efficiency and unlock employees’ innovation and leadership potential, making the entire organization more agile, efficient and dynamic.
Roche Pharmaceuticals has established a three-pronged AI digital intelligence framework consisting of “Everyday AI + Workflow AI + Strategic AI”. Powered by intelligent tools, this framework fully empowers employee growth and improves business performance. Looking ahead, Roche China will continue to prioritize data security and compliance. On a solid and reliable foundation, it will further advance the implementation of AI and digital-intelligent models, and keep exploring new, more efficient and human-centered human-AI collaboration models in corporate management practices.
BeOne: Exploring New Paradigms for the Global Development of Innovative Medicines
In addition, Dean Mike Mazzeo, together with faculty, students and alumni of the Program, visited BeOne, a Chinese benchmark enterprise for the globalization of innovative medicines, for in-depth exchanges. Shan Guohong, Alumni of the Fudan University-Washington University EMBA Program, Senior Vice President, Global and General Manager of Greater China, Central Asia and South Asia at BeOne, briefed the group on the company’s global business model layout and latest progress in
Alumnus Shan Guohong stated that pharmaceutical companies should always stay committed to clinical value as their core mission to pursue innovation, develop patient-centric treatment regimens, and collaborate with healthcare systems to improve the equity and accessibility of cancer diagnosis and treatment. In terms of broader drug access, enterprises need to coordinate with multiple stakeholders to build a multi-tiered medical security system. Through reasonable pricing, inclusion in national medical insurance schemes and promotion of commercial insurance, high-quality medicines can truly reach more patients.
He also noted that delivering innovative medicines to patients — bridging the “last mile” of implementation — calls for joint efforts and continuous optimization among governments, industries, academia, hospitals and enterprises. Leveraging China’s vast market strengths, BeOne will continue to tackle industry challenges, drive high-quality development of China’s pharmaceutical sector through innovation, and bring world-class Chinese medicines to more patients in need across the globe.
Alumni Breakfast Roundtable: Exploring New Pathways for Talent Development in the AI Era
During breaks in the visit schedule, Dean Mike Mazzeo also held an intimate breakfast discussion with several alumni representatives of the Fudan University-Washington University EMBA Program. The invited alumni come from diverse sectors including new energy, commercial real estate, retail, healthcare, internet and industrial manufacturing. Drawing on their frontline experience, they shared fresh insights into AI development trends from their respective industry perspectives.
Dean Mike Mazzeo emphasized that Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis is striving to build world-leading business education for the healthcare industry. Working closely with the School of Medicine and the Brown School of Public Health, Olin focuses on long-term health economic opportunities arising from demographic shifts, delves deep into healthcare business and pharmaceutical innovation management, and cultivates interdisciplinary talents with both professional vision and practical capabilities. The school has consistently built a platform for industry-academia-research exchange with a global perspective, helping students and alumni of the Fudan University-Washington University EMBA Program better grasp the transformations and future of the healthcare sector.