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Aman Chopra: Folks, welcome back to another episode of the "I AM GPH" podcast. Today, we're with Wenqing Zhang, AKA Sienna, who we're gonna call Sienna for the rest of the interview to make it easier for me. Sienna is the first group of biostatistics masters graduates from GPH from back in the day. Currently she works as a business development manager for Illumina. Illumina is the leading gene sequencing platform companies headquartered in San Diego, but she is representing the Chinese multinational cohort of Illumina and managing an international business outside of China for a company that is based in the US. Sienna used to be in charge of the one and only accelerator of Medtronic located in Shanghai as well which we'll hear about, but her main responsibility was sourcing and negotiating with cutting-edge technology startups and incubating them by providing Medtronic's industry resources and all the other knowhow. A fun fact which I'm very excited to hear about, Sienna was nominated for the Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2021 and we are recording this in 2024 where she has earned even more accolades in her life. Sienna, welcome to the "I AM GPH" podcast. We're glad to have you here.
Sienna Zhang: Thank you, Aman, those are really exciting introduction. I don't even know I have done so many things.
Aman Chopra: People forget, right? I'm so curious, Sienna, 'cause people forget how much stuff they have actually done in their life when a day to day is happening. I know we had so much happen before this call as well. You had work stuff come up so life just keeps happening, but I'm curious of what made you start with your public health journey? Where did this whole itch of public health start to where you are right now?
Sienna Zhang: Yeah, so when I was younger, when I was doing my college, I was in Pharmaceutical Science. I have zero idea about public health. I just like medical technologies. I just wanted to know more about how the healthcare world is like worldwide. So at first, I chose public health as my master degrees because I think it is kind of a program that I can learn so many aspects about the healthcare. Not just one specific technology, not just one simple idea, but more how to look at the healthcare world holistically. So I chose NYU Public Health School for just to give myself a broad idea of the whole industry. And also I chose epidemiology and biostatistics at first because well, there's a stereotype that most Chinese are good at math, that is true. Yeah, so I like to learn more about healthcare, but I want to learn in a quantified way. So I want to see how I can analyze the trend, how I can impact the policies by doing some mathematical or statistical work. So that's why I, yeah, I did that.
Aman Chopra: Where were you before that? So where were you before taking the master's degree? So what was the Sienna back then before signing up at GPH and enrolling over here?
Sienna Zhang:Yeah, so actually I did my college in Shanghai. I was in Fudan University which is among the top three university in China. But I have to say during my college, even if I majored in Pharmaceutical Science, I don't think I learned that much about healthcare until I did my master degree.
Aman Chopra: Wow, okay, so the math aura is there to you before that and you were in the designs that you were working on, but you felt like you needed a structure and environment that helped you expand your mind which is what brought you to the public health sphere basically.
Sienna Zhang:Yeah, and also when I look back to my application there, I really have to say I think it is really meaningful. When I was younger, I didn't know how much a difference is public and private, and also I think the definition of public and private are quite different in US and China. But when I started my career, when I started my career, I just realized how much public health mean, especially with the pandemic thing coming, especially in China, I think public health is something people really care about and really trying to get some new policies or new technologies around now, yeah.
Aman Chopra: Wow, all right, I'm curious, I'm curious to know what was, what happened to you when you came to NYU? So you really expanded your mind as you mentioned. What changed for you and how did that take you to where you are in your career right now?
Sienna Zhang: Yeah, so first, New York City is so fun. So I would never regret spend my early 20s in New York City, it's so fun, but that is not the reason I chose NYU. Probably part of, but not all of that. I think I chose NYU because at that time, I think getting a career or getting a job in US or in any good company is my goal. And I think NYU with its location, it has the best opportunity to get all the interviews, all the trainings, and the job opportunities. And also I think I really value the international part of NYU. So in a lot of master programs in US, especially in biostat, most students are Asians or Chinese. That way I can just learn just what I did in the past four years in China, so I don't think that would be interesting. I cannot broaden myself. I cannot bring the best of myself out of it, and I want just to learn from different people, different culture, and I want to see how Americans think about the public health. So NYU started the program the first year, so it has a lot of local students, international students. Actually I was among one of the five Chinese in the whole program, so yeah, so it was fun.
Aman Chopra: For a program that's traditionally led by mostly people from your country, right? And people that come in over here. But I'm curious to know how did that journey take you to your first job over here in the US? How did that start? Did you start with an internship? Did it start with a job directly? How did that take place for you?
Sienna Zhang: Yeah, although I wanted to pursue a career in US at that time, actually I started my first job back in China, but I did get two really good opportunities in US. I spent my first summer internship at Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company. I was at the R&D center located in Pearl River. So I was doing a biostatistic-related internship there. I have to say, without the degree and without my opportunity in year two too. I probably didn't even find out there's an internship around that. So I attend, I think there's one full, I think it's 2015 something I attended one panel and there's someone from Pfizers. I was very outspoken. I said, "Okay, do you have any suggestions on how to find a job and is there an internship?" And he actually said, "Yeah, I have several openings next year. Just let me know and you need to finish, you need to pass the interview and everything." I said, "Yeah, sure." So next year I wrote him an email and he said, "Yeah, I'm currently hiring." So I followed the process and I luckily got selected, so that is actually really a valuable experience. It was really interesting to work in one of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in US and working with the very smart people, that really inspired me a lot. And after that I did my full internship at New York City Department of Health and I also did some statistical work. So I kind of worked both in public sector and private sectors in New York. Those experience, I still, I mean, even though I have worked for so long, I still wrote them on my resume.
Aman Chopra: Wow, yeah, I mean, first off, what I find the most fascinating right now is the way you stood up, and asked the question, and that's how you landed an internship. People only hear of that in oh, that's a crazy story or it's a movie type of scene, but you have actually done that and lived it and then that's how you landed your roles.
Sienna Zhang: Yeah, I think that's how people survive in New York 'cause people are very competitive. You have to ask.
Aman Chopra: Yeah, so then after these internships, seem like very valuable internships like the New York Department of Health, State Department of Health and even Pfizer, these are some big roles that you're just interning at. Where did that take you after you graduated?
Sienna Zhang: Yeah, so actually I can say I did have the chance to stay in US to pursue a career in big pharma, but that was mostly statistical work. So I guess I was a little bit, I think I was very young and I think I'm an extrovert. I cannot just look at my computer and give the statistical report all day. I kind of want to interact with people and also I think China was booming during that time. A lot of money coming to the healthcare investment industry, so I started my, I actually went back to China right after graduation to start my first job at a healthcare boutique bank. I basically helped startups raise money. So during those days, those things really give me a lot of sense of achievement and I really learned fast from that job. Yeah, I think without my experience at Pfizer or New York City's Department of Health or NYU, I probably cannot even get past that interview. And also with my connections and my education background in New York, I think most China employers, they really value that. So I think it helps me start with, it helps me to have a good start.
Aman Chopra: And then tell me about how you landed at the companies after. So what made you work with multinationals such as Illumina or Medtronic and all those experiences? How did they start after this? 'Cause for me, it's like you've already lived a career, but I haven't even heard about those things so far, where you're working right now.
Sienna Zhang: Yeah, so after I went back to China, as I said, I started my first job at a investment bank. But so after I think after I started my sixth projects, I just realized I learned most process of it. If I really want to be really good in this industry really, even if I want to be a successful investor in the long-run, I need to understand the industry. I need to really be in the industry to understand the industry. So I decided to go to the multinational companies because for most company, there are a lot of good China healthcare or pharmaceutical or medical device companies in China. But for those US companies or multinational companies, they really have the best system, best products, and they're really train employee well. And so at that time, I have to say NYU might also help me a lot 'cause when I did interviews with multinational companies, usually at the end I need to meet with the global team. I need to interview with Americans, so they like a face that has already done some work in US. And also I think apart from that, I think much national companies, they also prefer the mixed background. With both international background and the local business background, so that's how I got into the position, yeah.
Aman Chopra: Yeah, what was that position? So how did that whole, so I understood that NYU helped you, but what was that position? Where did you apply?
Sienna Zhang: Yeah, so when I first joined Medtronic, the biggest medical device company headquarter in Minnesota. So I was interviewing this one position in Shanghai that is in the Medtronic innovation accelerator. It should be the first and the only accelerator of Medtronic, so that incubator was set too.
Aman Chopra: Before you continue explaining what you did at Medtronic, can you describe for the viewers that don't know because this is a business lesson plus a medicine, public health lesson. What does an incubator accelerator? What does that even mean?
Sienna Zhang: Yeah, so although it sounds very fancy, but actually it just bring a lot of, bring doctors or professors where they develop things or innovate things in a way that they really can improve the whole surgeries, but they might cannot bring the whole innovation stuff to the market 'cause they're professors, they're doctors. They just know how to improve or they have the concept, but they don't know how to make it as a product and to make it commercialized. So that's what M&C wants to do in China. They want to bring in all those innovative projects in-house and to use the multinational company's power to make this IP or concept into a product and to commercialize it so. So basically I was sourcing the cutting-edge technologies for advanced surgery method and trying to bring into Medtronic system. yeah.
Aman Chopra: So were you the middle person between, the way I hear it, it's artist and then a producer, right? So for me, I see it as someone that has this talent, but don't understand business and then someone that don't have the talent, but they love the business aspect of things. Were you the middle person between the two intermediaries?
Sienna Zhang: Yes, yes, I am, you got it. It's the same.
Aman Chopra: It's the same thing, right? So you know what that sounds like to me? And that sounds like more than, even though you have public health understanding, you have business understanding, this completely, to me as a listener, unlocks a human understanding. How do you communicate people's messages with each other? Say for example, the person that's the innovator is just annoyed and this is not working, and then the person that's running the business is worried about money. How do you manage a day like that?
Sienna Zhang: Actually I didn't think the way is managed. I think I have a very specific goal that is to bring the best technology in house. So basically I don't manage. I listen, I learn, and I investigate. So as long as that technology really are really good, they really make a difference. By difference, I mean the products we now have, the technologies we now have, or the technologies which is more cost saving. If I really find there's a rationalization for bringing that in, I would just bring that to the system. I was not the only person who can say yes or no. I think there are a lot of management team, they should do that. But I mean, it's their decisions to mostly consider if it's beneficial. If it's really, how much it costs and how much it would bring me, bring to the company in five years. That's really is a teamwork. It's a team's decision, but my role was to bring them in, so yeah.
Aman Chopra: What kind of qualifications are needed for this position if someone were wanting to go into your shoes? And this is kind of like there might be a student listening, someone that's even 18 right now, 16, some point that's even 25, what do you think someone like this needs if they want to go in your position?
Sienna Zhang: Yeah, I think position is one thing. I think there are a lot of positions like this. They might have different titles, but they might have different names in different companies, but they might do the same thing. But I think if someone really likes technology and try to bring them in a big company like this, I think the qualifications that actually really matters are not mostly education or presenting skills. It's like you really like new things, you really like technologies, and you believe that technology can really matter, and also you try to think from both aspects how that technology is going to work in China. Is it going to be commercially successful in China? And also try to think from the company's scope like our pipeline, do we still need that? Is it like add value or is it necessary, just to think-
Aman Chopra: Well, perhaps let's take a step back. So I'm curious to know like someone, what are the skills they need to have? Rather than on a daily operation, who do you think is an ideal candidate that would succeed in this role? What can someone do today to get there?
Sienna Zhang: Well, to me, if I want to, if I am the employer, to me, I think someone with good understanding of the technology. Have some experience in medical device. No matter which sector you're in, you have some experience so that you can understand the technology. And secondly, you can work, you can think things in different ways 'cause you have to face different, I don't know, customers, partners, or colleagues. And the third thing is have to be highly self-motivated 'cause I don't think in multinational companies, you have those KPIs like you have to finish that today or you have to bring three deals within this year. Not like that, but you have to push yourself to think, and rethink, and to really challenge yourself, and to look into the market all day. You have to be very self-motivated. I think those are the factors that matters.
Aman Chopra: So this is the Sienna we see when Sienna was in, by the way, for everyone who heard, that's kind of the aura we're looking for for someone that wants to get into this role. This is who Sienna was back at Medtronic. I'm curious to know, Sienna, from there, how did you end up at Illumina? Where did that journey go after you did all this amazing work?
Sienna Zhang: Yeah, I think after spent several years at Medtronic, I just realized that I want to deep dive, do a deep dive into the industry. So Medtronic's really big, it's really good. It has such a wide pipeline that I sometimes feel like it's hard for me to focus. Illumina instead has a very specific technology. We are focusing on gene sequencing. We want to bring the gene sequencing to most human. We want to know the gene sequence of every creatures in this world, so I think this is a combination of my previous education background like biostatistics and also some medical device background. And also the sector I work in, the business development, actually the whole name of my team is Corporate Development and Strategic Planning. So actually it needs us to have some strategic thinking, analysis ability, and also you have to make it profitable. Not just profitable, but more like in the long run, it's like a win-win. You have to develop the partnership in a win-win way. So I think it's quite, it sounds quite fascinating to me and I can also deep dive into the industry, so I changed to Illumina. Plus most people at Illumina are quite true and funny like most people in New York City.
Aman Chopra: So I'm curious, you were mentioning this about San Diego. What is it like for someone that studied the US, lives in China right now, but you're working at a US company that has headquarters in Asia? What is that that whole experience like? You are living the true international business dream, if you will, in public health?
Sienna Zhang: Yeah, I think, so I'm Gemini, so I was supposed to like new things and talking to different people. So for me, yeah, so for me, the life is cool 'cause I sometimes get up at 7:00 to have a call with US. But I might be very flexible during daytime because I work with international team mostly, so I might not need to go to the office during daytime. But sometimes it can be even like you work are doubled 'cause you have to communicate with other team in China as well. And sometimes it's doing really early morning calls and really late night calls, and still have to go to the office and have the meetings. But for me, apart from the schedule thing, I think the thing I really like is I really learn a lot from different people. Not just learn, I can also feel like I can impact 'cause in a multinational company, there are so many functions. Even in one partnership or one program, there are different functions on that one project and you can really see different people really see things from different scopes. And if you want to make sure this partnership or this portfolio is success, you have to understand every one of them and try to move things forward. So to me that is really like, I don't know, like a real life game. You can have different mode, so it's fine.
Aman Chopra: Does the culture change between, so did you ever work in the Illumina headquarters in San Diego or were you only in China the whole time?
Sienna Zhang: I traveled to Illumina Global Headquarters at least a twice a year and also I think most of my meetings are with American colleagues.
Aman Chopra: So it seems like, but then what's the difference in managing everyone in where you are in China right now? So what are the subtle differences that you notice working there at a US company?
Sienna Zhang: Okay, yeah, that's very different so. So I also work with EU team, Europe team a bit on one project, and also sometimes Singapore team. So I have to say in general, East Asians are more diligent. Can I say that, they're more hardworking?
Aman Chopra: Yeah, of course.
Sienna Zhang: They text you after 7:00 PM, they're like that. And also I think Chinese or most East Asians colleagues, they are quite not outspoken comparing to American colleagues. If something happens, it's usually one or two person in China escalate things. But if that's in US, everyone would be like, "I'm not okay with that." They just say no directly. But also I do like American colleagues 'cause this kind of communication makes things really move faster. And also I think most R&D, most technologies, most innovations come from the global. I really like some people there, they're really smart. In a multinational economy, some people are not, probably not, they don't even understand the technology. For example, if they're operation person or they're a finance person, they probably don't need to understand the core technology. But for American colleagues, I noticed that a lot of them have PhDs and they're very smart. They're very direct so. And I think for Singapore, it's in the between. They have very really high quality in education or in the way they communicate, but sometimes they can be very, I don't know, it's like they're not that outspoken or direct.
Aman Chopra: Yeah, that seems like a great, important lesson in cultural understanding, cultural differences in business communication. From a public health standpoint, Sienna, what is the difference of the public health? I know in the start you mentioned private and public health in the US is different. Private and public health in China is different. So what is it like seeing the world of public health for you in China and in the US?
Sienna Zhang: Yeah, I think in US, private and public are quite, quite specific. People know okay, this is a private equity and that is public. They have the very, very obvious boundary, but in China sometimes, no. And to be honest, a lot of facilities like the biggest hospitals, clinics, or a lot of stuff, they are public, but they might charging away private. So sometimes you have to, it's not expensive way of private. It's there are differences between, among the private stuff, there are differences in pricing. There are differences in, for example, for Coronavirus, sometimes each district, they have different way of manage the situation. So I think in China, publics is a idea that it's not very, sometimes it's not very clear to everyone. But I think a good thing is people really value public health now in China. The government really devote more money into public health and also I think there are a lot of universities, they started to opening more courses related to public health. Yeah, so that's a good start.
Aman Chopra: Are there any other notable things? There's a lot of people from different countries that come into our program here at NYU and what should they be aware of when it comes to doing public health in the US? 'Cause what you're doing is global business and there's also local public health aspects that exist, so how do you define the two differences?
Sienna Zhang: You mean people who went to NYU, but go back to...
Aman Chopra: Yeah, go back to their country 'cause I'm very curious to hear from, most of the people we have spoken to on the podcast so far have not gone back to their country or they have done mini projects in their country, but they come back to New York and they do something or in the US and they stay here. You have done something interesting where you're back in your home country and you're living in your home country and doing, making major decisions over there.
Sienna Zhang: Probably in New York City is too cold. I'm just kidding, so I do have some classmates who are Chinese or Indian, they went to the same track or program as I did. And I think some of them stayed in US. Some mental consulting firms, some are researchers, they are doing quite related work. But I do know one other Chinese girl, she went back to China and she went to the Hong Kong, some university at Hong Kong and did the PhD work that's very interesting, and I think that work is in recovery health something. And there's another girl who has stayed there. I actually met her this year in Singapore after, it's the first time I ever met her after graduation. She's totally devoted to the family now, so I think, yeah, but she still wants to go back to work. But I think since she chose Singapore as a new place to live, probably there's a lot of things for her to find out as well by herself. So I think for international students, sometimes it can be, it's not just a choice about staying in public health or not. It's more like staying US or not.
Aman Chopra: Or not, oh, very interesting. But so are you saying public health is kind of everyone, public health is public health everywhere and everything is kind of interconnected? There is lots of similarities, but the core differences you can only realize when you're in that country?
Sienna Zhang: I think so, I don't think, so I was interned at New York City Department of Health a bit. So I did notice that even the public, I could be wrong, but my feeling was even if it's a public sector, a lot of things are funding-based, are quite flexible, and they really need your analysis to create a result that can impact the policy. But in China, I do have other friends in public health industry, they might work for Shanghai CDC. And to me, I think it's more like administrative work. Probably there are some people in research area that that could be different, but my understanding that it's a little bit different to me, yeah.
Aman Chopra: So in the interest of time, Sienna, and it's very late for you as well, I have a few more questions and these are some things I'm very, very curious about. Number one is you got nominated for Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2021 in China. That is a really, really cool achievement. People have a dream of being on 30 Under 30. What was that whole journey like? How did that even happen for you?
Sienna Zhang: Yeah, so thanks for bringing this up. I'm really happy about that as well. So in 2021, I was at Medtronic which is a really famous multinational company in China as well. So usually for people who hold a important position in a big company like that, they will be noticed or referred to the Forbes China committee. And for Forbes China 30 Under 30, there are different sectors. They are sports, they are finance, they are consumables. So I was in the healthcare and technology part. So I think it was largely because I was in that big company at a young age and holding a important position, but also I think my work there really helps too because the people who refer me were the previous, the CEOs.
Aman Chopra: Recipients of the, wow.
Sienna Zhang: Yeah, they're people I worked with when I was at that position. They were collaborating with me from, they are the startups got selected by the accelerator and they were also eliminated by Forbes before. And they say, "Hey, Sienna, why don't you go there? I can refer you." I say, "Yeah, sure, why shouldn't I try?" And I just got it. So yeah, I guess I-
Aman Chopra: So how does it work? So I mean, there might be one person that's even listening to this that is interested in getting on Forbes 30 Under 30. What is the criteria to get on that? At least in your time, what was it like?
Sienna Zhang: Yeah, so I don't think they publish a very specific criteria. It's not like you have to hit 3.8 for your GPA. Not something like that, but they definitely chose people from a standard that either she's from a big company with a really important position, or she's from a good university with a outstanding performance, or she's a CEO or a management team already at a young age for a famous startup, usually like that. For example, for the sports part, they nominated the Olympic champion, Hongchan Chen, who is now still winning at the Olympics in Paris. So I think they want to choose people who can really, they can say okay, she's really one of the best in this industry. They want to choose people like that, yeah,
Aman Chopra: This is amazing, and I'm curious, you have made, you have achieved so much, Sienna, and you've done thousands of projects. My favorite story is still when you asked someone at Pfizer for your internship and took it over there. What makes you wanna come back to NYU because you're a part of the alumni board for this cycle? What made you wanna come back and get involved with that again for someone that has so much going on in her life?
Sienna Zhang: Yeah, so I think for me, one thing I really care about is what I have achieved is about myself, but that really makes no difference to others. I really want to use my experience to probably help or impact in a good way. Especially I got reached out previously by some current professors in our school and they tell me that now there are so many Chinese students or international students in the department, in the school. I was like wow, at that time, I only have five. I don't even have people to have lunch with 'cause they don't eat Chinese foods. And they said, "Sienna, can you do your Korea talk?" And I say yes. So I did one talk I think a couple of months ago, a couple months ago, and I noticed that more than half of the students are Chinese or at least, I don't know, like international, but they asked the least questions. They don't ask questions. They don't say, "Hey, can you give me an internship at Pfizer?" So I just realized that probably in my culture, a lot of people are more, they hold back more. They don't ask for things. So I think I realized that as someone who might have achieved something with my personality, I probably should tell people if I can do that, you can do that, and here's how I do that and probably that might be useful to you, yeah.
Aman Chopra: Wow, well, with that said, Sienna, thank you for all those insights. I mean, you have already been a trailblazer in your environment and I can't wait to see what happens for you going forward. And all the students you're gonna help when you join, when you're in this alumni board cycle and how many people you have been inspired. I'm sure a lot of people have been inspired through this podcast hearing your journey and I think you are giving everyone else a dream as well, that they can also achieve and develop certain amazing things in their lives.
Sienna Zhang: I hope they can be better than me and probably refer me some job in the future.
Aman Chopra: Everyone, if you didn't notice, Sienna's very humble, but very talented as well. Sienna, we're really, really happy. This is again, Wenqing Sienna Zhang for everyone if you wanna look her up in any way. Sienna, what would you like to leave with the young trailblazers in public health now with the people that are creating the next generation of public health?
Sienna Zhang: Well, apart from what I've said, I also want to say something like I think nowadays people, with all the social media and everything, people like to see how others are doing. How many people, what's the percentage of the students that get a job like this? What's the percentage I am within this group? I just wanna say that probably in a city like New York, you should focus more on your self-development other than notice what people around you are doing. That's not helpful, that only adds to your anxiety. Focus on yourself, try to find your talent, and go for it. And ask for it and go for it, yeah.
Aman Chopra: We indeed will, Sienna, this was very, very insightful and it was a delight talking to you, and I wish you all the best in the next steps of your journey. Thanks for being on the podcast. It was awesome having you.
Sienna Zhang: Thank you.
Aman Chopra: Thank you, thank you. Folks, that was Wenqing Zhang, AKA Sienna. We'll see you in the next episode. Links in the description for anything you need. Shoot some comments down below and we'll see you in the next episode, take care, everybody.