Cornell Business

Issue date: 5/3/00 Section: People

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You have seen him proudly sporting his Drive for Five vest since it was handed out. You have seen him defy the death glare of Michaely as he reads the Wall Street Journal during the Finance Core. But what do you really know about Jackson Li? Did you know he's a champion ping-pong player? Did you know he organized a Ballroom Dancing course in Beijing, which later produced a champion team? Or that in that same competition Jackson himself came in fourth place in the Cha Cha Cha event? Now, this is an interesting man.

Jackson has been a high achiever throughout his life thus far, from ranking 15th in his state in a nationwide physics competition while in high school, to being one of ten students at his undergraduate institution to be honored for their excellence regardless of major or year in school. Despite such a strong academic career, however, Jackson has always taken a more well rounded approach to his education. In addition to the sports mentioned above, Jackson also dabbled in broadcast television and reporting for his university station, and he organized a campus-wide festival in celebration of Ramadan for his fellow students.

In talking with Jackson, what emerged most clearly is his interest in meeting people and learning from them. While getting a Masters in Solid Mechanics at Tsinghua University, otherwise known as "the Chinese MIT," Jackson started to gain an interest in business and proceeded to read a lot of business books. This activity would lead him away from a scientific PhD and towards a career in sales for Procter and Gamble and eventually his MBA here at the Johnson School.

Jackson told a story about sales training with P&G that required him to ride around the back alleys of Beijing on a tricycle loaded with a huge box of P&G products. What he remembers is not necessarily how hot it was, nor how exhausting, nor even how he received strange looks from the staff at the four-star hotel where he and his fellow trainees were staying after they returned from a day of cycling around and peddling soap. What he remembers is learning to sell directly to any kind of customer, especially some from the older, more conservative generations with whom he came to form enjoyable relationships. Jackson later put people first in his management role. He created a special fund for those among the 150 sales people that reported to him who also had children attending college.

At the Johnson School, Jackson is always seen around Sage and has definitely become a presence here. I had the fortune of getting to know Jackson early on in the year during the NBA 570 class. He senses areas in which he could make a difference at the Johnson School, but he, like many others, has been balancing the academic demands of the program with his own personal challenge of becoming fluent in English. Since Jackson wants to go into consulting, which he views to be a great transition to a career based on brain power and individual problem solving, his command of the language will be paramount in securing strong relationships with international clients.

So if you see Jackson, say hello, and perhaps join him in a game of table tennis. Odds are, you'll learn a lot, and not just about the game. Thanks, Jackson.

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