I was on the fence as to whether I should go to IUJ before getting my scholarship from Nissho Iwai back in the spring of 1990. Once I got the news that I was being given the financial aid, though, it became an easy decision. And it was definitely the right path for me to take. From the first day I was enamored with the breathtakingly beautiful location, my fellow students, our professors, and the classroom discussions at the school. There were challenges but they were far outweighed by the positives. And as each season passed, new and more interesting events transpired: 14 feet of snow piled over a walking tunnel leading to a classroom, the 300 year old Naked Man Festival (or is it 800 years old!!), or whatever new extremely low calorie main course the Shokudou was preparing.

I think going to IUJ not only gave me a wonderful perspective on the tools to practice international business, but also the opportunities, skills, exposure, and confidence to make the dream of living and working throughout Asia a reality. Upon graduating, I took a job with an American bank in Tokyo. I worked there for a few years before getting another job with another American bank, this time in New York City. It was in New York that I met my wife, Nellie Siu-Ning Huang, and first started working for an Internet company. In the next six years I worked in Sydney, Hong Kong, and Tokyo, dragging my wife to each new city.

I joined the newly formed technology company of a close Japanese friend in late 2003. The two of us and a third partner raised money, acquired the Asian rights to a next generation building material, and have been working hard to grow the company ever since. This required that my family and I move back to Hong Kong but we were well prepared by this point in life to do that. This entire adventure of starting a company and setting up a home in a foreign country was again something for which my time at IUJ prepared me well.

I think back to my time at IUJ as one of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences I have ever had. This is in no small measure due to the generosity of your foundation but of course also to the other students, faculty members, location, facilities, and support that the university has always been so lucky to get from corporations and foundations in Japan. I will always be extremely grateful for the help and support that I received from your foundation and hope someday to be able to give back to IUJ in a proportionate manner the extremely generous support that Nissho Iwai gave to me as a young student.