DENG Wenli, The Class of 2022

FOCUS: UNSTOPPABLE

The Class of ’22 Finding opportunities despite a worldwide pandemic.

2020 When the pandemic shut the world down, it would have been easy for students to feel like their educational experience locked down, too. 

2022 Instead, these Carlson School students found a world of possibility and potential, both within and out in the wider world. 

Stephen Deng’s plans weren’t drastically disrupted by COVID-19. As a member of the Carlson Executive MBA–China Program (CHEMBA), now in its 20th year, Deng was planning to take many of his courses virtually from Beijing, although U of M faculty do teach some classes on-site in China.

“Although the teaching process was quite challenging—we really needed to leverage a lot of tools like Zoom, Canvas, and discussion boards—I didn’t feel the loss of the teaching quality,” Deng says.

Classes within the CHEMBA program are primarily co-taught by faculty appointed from the Carlson School of Management, Lingnan College, or other prestigious business schools. Deng, who works for BFE Corporation Limited, a global e-commerce logistics and warehouse provider headquartered in Guangzhou, says he’s already seeing benefits from the program.

中山大学岭南学院2011届（进社）物流管理本科专业 管理学学士

Bachelor of Management, Class of Year 2011, Lingnan College, SYSU

In early January, Deng was placed in charge of BFE’s global warehousing operation, including North America, after working since 2019 as business unit and marketing director for Europe, Australia, and China.

Deng says his new responsibilities are broad, from overseeing operations functions to marketing, finance, and human resource aspects.

“It brings me a totally new perspective of understanding, because when I was back in my bachelor program, I surely learned some of these things. But I didn’t understand it because I didn’t have the experience,” Deng  says. “Now, in the CHEMBA program, it’s closely linked with what I’ve done in the past 10 or so years in my work.”

In fact, Deng recently collaborated with the CEO of BFE on a new organization optimization project, not long after he’d completed a course on international HR management.

“My boss, who is an expert in HR, we’re having some discussion, and I can see the surprise from her eyes and from her face. She was like, ‘Stephen, you’re on the same page with me.’ I could feel the respect from her,” Deng says. “This was really a big moment for me. I have already surprised my boss and I’ve been leveled up.”

Deng, who was voted by his classmates and the CHEMBA council as the representative of his cohort, is also its youngest member, at age 32.

He’s not yet sure about travel plans with the pandemic but hopes to graduate in person. While COVID-19 derailed Deng’s plans to the see the “famous Minnesota snow,” he is hoping to walk across the stage at commencement.

More about Stephen

Wenli (Stephen) Deng, '22 CHEMBA

I always believe that the best is yet to come, whether in my work or personal life; this does not change until I meet CHEMBA. I am pretty sure that this is the BEST choice for me regarding my personal growth in professional skills and reaching out to a new level of my business sense and leadership understanding.

Being able to experience top-level education at Carlson School of Management is one of the main reasons I applied for CHEMBA, and I have tasted the sweetness and bitterness quite profoundly.

The study pattern is very different from what I have experienced in college, and it brought me quite a few difficult times at the very beginning.

Lucky that the professors inthe CHEMBA program are all with high academic achievements and abundant experiences with companies. Furthermore, the discussions among all our classmates from different roles and industries always blow my mind and enable me to link the knowledge with practices.

Here we are now at a very close time towards graduation when I realize that I am always getting used to my daily life with CHEMBA - Busy, Fruitful, Learning.

CHEMBA is really reshaping my life and knowledge and getting me ready to be an international leader professionally and emotionally.

Thank You. Carlson,UMN，Lingnan,SYSU & CHEMBA.