Since June 2020, 4 cohorts of outstanding students from Asia Europe Business School have successfully completed their studies, entered top universities at home and abroad for further studies, or worked in international organizations, transnational corporations, enterprises and institutions, striving towards their ideals.
AEBS has always been concerned about and paying attention to the development of each AEBSer, and showcases their rich and colorful life trajectories in the form of "Asia Europe Excellent Alumni Tracking Report". By conducting interviews and sharing their stories about overseas studies, and experiences of graduates from AEBS in a new environment, we aim to help students clarify their future development plan and direction.
Fabian Awater, an alumnus of Asia-Europe Business School, has accomplished a remarkable career "triple jump" in just one year after graduating, when most new professionals are still figuring out the early obstacles of the field. He began as an intern, changed course to become an entrepreneur for a coffee brand, and currently serves as the Deputy General Manager of a management consulting firm His career spans entrepreneurship, venture capital, and strategic consulting, showcasing the exceptional adaptability of global talent across diverse fields. With an educational background that blends Eastern and Western business acumen—from a degree in Economics and International Trade at Columbia Business School and Donghua University to a master's program at East China Normal University and emlyon Business School—Fabian has laid a solid foundation for his professional journey.
Today, as Deputy President of the AEBS Alumni Network, he uses his global perspective to connect resources, establishing his dual role in alumni engagement and corporate management as a model for the next generation of flexible business leaders.
From Internship to Entrepreneurship:
Accumulating Diverse Skills
Fabian's career began as an intern assistant at a listed company, where he gained hands-on experience in the entire coffee bean trade process, from exhibition planning to contract negotiations, honing his skills in supply chain management and cross-cultural communication. His keen market insight led him to co-found a coffee brand with classmates. Although this first venture fell short of expectations, the experience of building from scratch taught him rapid iteration and resource integration. "Entrepreneurs identify unmet market needs," Fabian recalls. "At the time, we noticed young consumers' demand for convenient, high-quality coffee was underserved, which sparked my thinking about business models and competitiveness."
This entrepreneurial experience not only enhanced his ability to balance online and offline operations and build brands but also paved the way for his future career choices. "Entrepreneurship taught me rapid iteration and resource integration—such as balancing online and offline operations and building a brand from scratch. These skills are equally valuable in venture capital and consulting, like assessing a startup's execution and market fit. Next, I plan to leverage my consulting experience to give back to the entrepreneurial world by incubating more global brands."
Venture Capital and Consulting:
Practicing Cross-Border Thinking
Fabian's entrepreneurial experience opened doors to venture capital. He led two landmark investments: Chinese IP snack brand ACG Box, which achieved over 7x revenue growth in three years, and U.S. food tech company Voyage Foods, now valued at over $150 million. "I chose venture capital to understand industry trends from a capital perspective. Entrepreneurship taught me that many innovative projects lack resources, not ideas, and VC allows me to directly contribute to their growth," he explained.
In 2024, Fabian transitioned to consulting, focusing on solving growth challenges for leading companies, such as global brand expansion, product innovation, and competitive strategies. "Consulting allows me to systematically provide solutions for businesses. For example, I once designed a globalization strategy for a tech company by combining my experiences in China and Europe," he noted. "My strength lies in 'cross-border thinking'—moving from operations to capital to consulting gives me multidimensional insights to quickly identify core issues. My next step is to delve deeper into innovation and global expansion, aiming to become a strategic expert bridging Chinese and European innovation."
AEBS Empowerment:
Forging Global Competence
Fabian attributes part of his professional success to AEBS's unique educational model. The school's dual-degree program combines East China Normal University's local resources with EM Lyon Business School's global perspective, providing unparalleled international recognition. "China's economic dynamism and Shanghai's global business ecosystem attracted me, while AEBS's bilingual environment and alumni network helped me quickly integrate into the local workplace."
Courses like the "In-Company Consulting Project" prepared him for the consulting industry by analyzing corporate challenges through multicultural perspectives. "This course taught me how to assist companies from a consultant's perspective—conducting in-depth research on business conditions, exploring innovation directions, and formulating strategies. Applying diverse cultural perspectives to solve problems is a unique and fascinating experience," Fabian emphasized. "AEBS doesn’t just teach knowledge; it cultivates global competence, which is key for international students to quickly adapt to the workplace."
Future Outlook and Advice
Fabian plans to focus on innovation and global brand expansion, aiming to become a strategic expert connecting Chinese and European business ecosystems. For students aspiring to international careers, he offers the following advice:
·Leverage Resources: Explore industries through internships, attend industry summits, and build local networks; utilize school-industry collaboration programs.
·Career Planning: Start by specializing in a vertical field (e.g., tech or Chinese global expansion) before broadening horizontally.
·Workplace Adaptation: For example, learn to use AI tools to enhance productivity.
When choosing schools, prioritize programs with practical platforms and diverse, international educational paths, like AEBS's industry partnerships. For industry selection, focus on policy-driven sectors like AI applications, Chinese global expansion, low-altitude economy, and pet economy, which promise future demand. Stay curious.
Fabian's story demonstrates that "globalization" is not just about crossing borders but integrating thinking and resources. His journey offers a complete blueprint for international students transitioning from academia to the workplace—combining cross-cultural communication, entrepreneurial execution, and strategic insight, the core competencies of global business leaders. Moving forward, he will continue to drive Sino-European innovation with cross-border thinking, empowering more companies to achieve global growth.