Walking
the talk

A University of Otago education gave Jonathon Wong the skills to build a high-powered career in the United States. Now he is looking to give back.

The new president of the Alumni of University of Otago in America (AUOA) wants to help Otago graduates build a stronger alumni network – both in the US and across the world.

Jonathon Wong's experience in America has helped him understand how important it is to have a strong professional network in order to advance your career, especially if you want to make a change.

While pursuing an MBA at the Kellogg School of Management – Northwestern University, Wong quickly learned that the US graduate business school experience is as much about building one's professional network as it is about academic growth.

“We just don't have that kind of culture in New Zealand,” says Wong. “Calling on fellow alumni for professional help does not come naturally to Otago graduates or New Zealanders in general. But the Otago alumni network could be a tremendous resource for current students and graduates.”

As the new AUOA president and the Director of Business Operations and Strategy for Global Partnerships at Google in California, Wong is well-placed to make things happen.

It wasn't always that way. Wong started from humble beginnings and his involvement with AUOA originated from a desire to give back to the University that gave him a great start in life.

“My journey to where I am now started at Otago. I didn't have an easy or privileged beginning, but Otago provided me with the foundations for success. I believe it's a place where anyone from any background can thrive and build the skills they need to pursue their long-term goals.”

Wong was born in China and his family moved to Dunedin when he was just a toddler. “I still consider Dunedin my home town. My parents couldn't go to university and wanted a better life for me.”

Wong's maternal grandmother became his guardian from age 10 when his parents returned to China and he soon learned to be self-reliant. “We didn't have much money so I had to be entrepreneurial. For example, when I visited China I'd buy video games, toys, whatever was in demand at the time to sell back in Dunedin. The exchange rate definitely helped with my operating margins.”

Naturally, Wong's favourite school subjects were business and economics, which he went on to major in for his Otago Bachelor of Commerce degree with first class honours. While finishing high school he applied for provisional entrance and began doing papers, which gave him a window into campus life.

“The University is such a significant part of the culture in Dunedin. It's the oldest university in New Zealand and, in my opinion, one of the best. The people I met at Otago were open, collaborative and intellectually curious. I felt it was a place where I could grow.

“Academically it was tough. I was fortunate to be invited into the honours programme, but it was hard work. I had to put in the hours to keep up on the content and with my more academically-gifted peers. I nearly blew it in my second year, but I had amazing support from my lecturers and classmates, who helped me get through.”

Wong's lecturers also guided him to an overseas exchange at the Stockholm School of Economics during his third year, an experience that helped him grow personally and set him apart during job interviews.

Wong also benefitted from sports at Otago, training and competing in taekwondo at the University club where he attained his black belt in just four years.

“I never thought I'd be at Google, but my economics training at Otago, which focused on helping me develop critical thinking skills versus memorising formulas, prepared me for what I do today.”

“I tagged along with a friend during orientation week and I'm happy I did. Physical training for two or three hours a day, five to six days a week requires immense focus and discipline. The mental toughness I learned from practising taekwondo transferred over to my studies. I figured if I could condition my body this way, I could do the same with my mind.”

By graduation, Wong's honours class had dwindled from high double digits to just a dozen. He applied for positions with two of the most prestigious economic institutions in New Zealand – the Treasury and the Reserve Bank – gaining interviews with both.

“I thought I was all set, but what happened next came completely out of left field. I went to a Deloitte recruiting event to support a friend. I wasn't interested in accounting, but discovered management consulting. I was excited by the travel and tempted by the extra pay relative to the public sector.&rdquo.

Wong landed one of the few graduate analyst positions at Deloitte Consulting that year.

During his second year he was co-opted to a project team working with visiting American energy experts. “They needed a number cruncher and I happened to be an analyst lackey with the right qualifications so I supported them for several months. At the end of the project the senior manager suggested that my skill set could be valuable in the US so I applied for a transfer to the Washington DC office. The New Zealand firm was incredibly supportive and kindly talked me up a bit. A year later I found myself living in the US.”

As soon as Wong arrived he realised that America held huge possibilities for growth. After two more years in Deloitte Consulting's strategy and operations practice, the company offered to sponsor him to attend full-time graduate business school for an MBA. He had intended to return to DC, but an internship led him to San Francisco where he discovered the high-tech world of Silicon Valley. He then spent time as a research fellow at Deloitte's Center for the Edge think tank.

“That was an incredible experience, spending six months looking deeply into one complex topic. It really expanded my ability to think critically and creatively.”

Inspiration led Wong to co-found a company with a friend from Kellogg. After a charmed run, it was a valuable miss-step.

“It was 18 months of sleepless nights building products that ultimately did not work out. Fortunately, there is a culture in Silicon Valley where failure is a badge of honour. In fact, when I told my primary investor that I was pulling the plug, he offered to write me another cheque for my next venture. He explained that the investment was in me, not the idea.

“I'd learned a lot, not least that running a start-up requires a degree of risk tolerance that stretched beyond the limits of my own at the time. I had to re-evaluate and re-invent myself after that so I looked at the biggest players in tech, like Google and Amazon, and tapped into my Kellogg network for insights and support.”

Wong received two offers and signed with Google. “Everyone I met during the interview process was so sharp, so intellectually tuned in. It felt like a super high-performance environment, which was both intimidating and attractive to me. I figured, regardless of how well I did, I was going to learn something valuable.”

Wong joined the partnership's operations and strategy team, advising business leadership and helping run global operations.

“The role immediately offered me opportunities to tackle incredibly complex and challenging problems, collaborating with people who are at the top of their field. It's an amazing place to be and an environment where you can grow very quickly, and have a positive impact at scale.”

Six years on, Wong is now the Director of Business Operations and Strategy for Global Partnerships.

“I never thought I'd be at Google, but my economics training at Otago, which focused on helping me develop critical thinking skills versus memorising formulas, prepared me for what I do today. On top of that, my Otago experience helped me grow as a whole person, providing me with the confidence and courage I needed to get to where I am today.

“Many of the Otago graduates I know in the US are successful in their respective professions. We are all grateful for the education we received, and proud of our alma mater. Many of us are looking for ways to give back to the University.”

Hence Wong's involvement with the AUOA.

“I attended an alumni event and met some of the board members several years ago, and ended up as secretary in 2016. That's an arduous position, but I like jobs that allow you to see the full picture. Later I started discussing new ideas with the team and was asked if I wanted to lead the organisation, so I guess it's time for me to walk the talk.”

NIGEL ZEGA