Interview with Qun Yang-Life is as beautiful as summer blossoms
Qun Yang
– Chairwoman of UKCWC
– Cambridge University Alumni
– Founder of Biorbyt Ltd (Biotech Company)
In 2010, Qun Yang set up her own company in England, ‘Biorbyt’ – a Biotech Company. She has many years of investment banking and corporate operation management experience, successively worked in Deloitte UK’s accounting firm, Goldman Sachs and the Model and Methodology group at Deutsche Bank. Qun Yang also possesses certifications in the following areas – ACA, FRM, (from Global Association of Risk Professionals) and CFA – Chartered Financial Analyst.
When she became the executive director of the Women’s Leadership Centre at Cambridge Judge Business School, she invited many remarkable women to present lectures at the Cambridge Judge Business School. Together with China Women’s Development Foundation, Cambridge Judge Business School held the women’s sustainable development conference. Currently, she is a member of the Business Law Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and the Cambridge city head of the ICAEW East Anglia Society.
Interview
From work-life to home life, from uniting others to self-improvement, Qun Yang has kindly shared her reflections on life and her own experiences being labelled a ‘business founder and head of the committee’.
Whether it is founding UKCWC or having a balanced work and home schedule, Qun Yang never stops exploring new ideas or processes to improve herself. In the following interview, she focuses on: ‘being a friend of time’ and sharing her own personal experiences on this topic.
1. About UKCWC
Question: In March, you and a few friends set up UKCWC, having little knowledge and understanding of how to set up a committee. What were your vision and motive?
Answer: When I organised the Women’s Sustainable Development Conference, the results were excellent. Many remarkable British-Chinese women and big institutions got involved. However, I was also aware that the majority of Britain lacked an understanding of contemporary Chinese women. I thought of ways in which I could raise awareness about us to the world. When I think of something, I do it. This is the main reason why I set up UKCWC. I think the beauty and charm of contemporary Chinese women are not limited to just one aspect; thus, the aim of UKCWC is to reveal more and portray the new generation of women.
Question: I see that you are someone with a sense of mission to go about solving such a problem. So, what do you think UKCWC has done well, and what else should it do?
Answer: Speaking of a sense of mission, I think I am someone with a strong sense of mission. Don’t we create history? I believe that each of us can be a messenger with a sense of mission. Our association is rooted in benevolence, with the goal to stimulate the connection between people, to be warmer people, and to help each other in times of difficulty. As messengers, on the one hand, we have to spread the goodness of China and, on the other hand, we have to learn Western history and philosophy, and not simply judge others based on our original values.
2. About Entrepreneurship and the workplace
Question: At that time, the momentum of the financial job market was promising, so why did you leave to start your own business? Can you share your career and entrepreneurial experiences with us?
Answer: First of all, I didn’t just suddenly decide to start a business; I am actually opposed to randomly starting a business on a whim. I had always been contemplating to start a business. At the time, I worked at Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank, some of the best companies in the industry, and I felt like I had realised another life’s dream. But I started asking myself again, is this really how the rest of my life would be like? Thinking about it now, I was also relatively lacking in patience because I thought I could do more with my skills. I probably could have stayed for a few more years to gain more knowledge in my field. Entrepreneurship is not a choice for everyone.
I now find myself wanting to say to my younger friends that you must be patient, put more time to the field you are in, become an expert in that field, and be a friend of time. You can gain a lot of excellent experience working in a large company. And to start a business on your own, you need to solve many problems yourself, and you must have the courage to lead a team. Something I do quite well is thinking about how to automate, such as using IT to simplify a process. I want to emphasise that communicating with others is extremely important. You have to imagine the other person is a blank piece of paper and consciously explain things in a clear, well-communicated way.
3. About Family
Question: Do you have any secrets you can share with us on having a happy home? Is there anything that has had a particularly significant influence on you?
Answer: I can do what I do now is partly because of the tolerance and patience of my parents and my husband. In the relationship between husband and wife, I gradually learned to look at the positive side. For my children, too, I slowly learned to be patient. Recently I have been thinking about how to run a family like a company. First of all, we need a breakdown of the division of labour, how we ‘new’ women divide up the work and chores with our other halves. Secondly, there must be outsourcing, what help can you find, such as cleaning and so on. It helps to establish some goals to improve cohesion. Maybe a good thing to do is a feedback system within the family, although, in reality, it can be challenging to carry out within the family.
4. About Curiosity and Learning
Question: You have studied many different professions, such as finance, accounting, management, entrepreneurship, then you studied biology, and now you have started studying artificial intelligence. Your strong learning motivation and ability are incredibly admirable. Can you share with us how to maintain curiosity and improve learning ability?
Answer: Both society and academia are continually moving forward. . I don’t want to just follow what others say. I prefer to have my own understanding. Without up-to-date knowledge, I would not be able to form in-depth judgement and opinions. I also want to make some contribution to the advancement of society and science, so I should continue to learn. Learning interdisciplinary subjects is very important, and it is also beneficial for innovation.
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