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Linda Du

Language no barrier to Yahoo! spokesperson

Even before entering the UW MBA program, Ling (Linda) Du (MBA 2004) had a pretty remarkable career going.

After graduating from Beijing Language University in 1996 with a degree in English language and literature, the enterprising Chinese native landed a job as an account executive with the international public relations firm Fleishman-Hillard Link, followed by a stint as senior manager of strategic communications for APCO Worldwide.

It was a case of being in the right place at the right time and speaking the right language. “I got a lot of big opportunities right out of school because of the big changes in China. The PR industry there needs talented English speakers to work with American clients. They’d rather hire an English major than a business major.”

Before her 30th birthday, Du lobbied the International Olympic Committee to help secure the 2008 Beijing Games and worked to gain China admittance in the World Trade Organization. She represented Microsoft, Deloitte, Dow Corning, eBay, Oracle, Estee Lauder, Chubb Insurance, SmithKline Beecham and Daimler-Chrysler, among a lengthy roster of multinational clients entering the China market. For these firms she did everything from suggesting furniture for their new Beijing office to masterminding publicity campaigns and launch events to consulting on brand positioning and handling crisis management.

“The experiences made me very ambitious,” Du says. “But they also opened my eyes that I needed to know more if I’m going to be a really good strategic advisor to business leaders. The opportunity was great, but I wasn’t really prepared for it. I needed to know accounting, finance, other disciplines. It was time to get an MBA.”

She made the most of her time at the UW, building a solid business portfolio to enhance her linguistic skills. “The MBA has given me enormous opportunity,” Du says. “I love Beijing, but the world is so amazing. I have to see more…”

She is doing just that. Now the manager of international public relations for Yahoo!, Du oversees corporate communications between the Internet media giant’s California headquarters and 22 key international markets.

“I don’t have a big title, but I have a big job,” she says, laughing.

It requires a hectic schedule, travel to all points of the globe and a facility with vastly different cultures, sometimes on a moment’s notice. Not a problem for a citizen of the world.

“Most Chinese people only get to leverage their own background,” Du says. “This job demands that I understand many different cultures and economies. It’s an amazing opportunity.”