JENNIFER LU

I get a lot of energy from hearing my classmates’ ideas and dreams.

Before HEC

I am an environmental engineer/scientist who worked for six years at The Boeing Company and an environmental consulting firm before joining the HEC Paris MSc Sustainability and Social Innovation program. I also interned at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for my undergraduate education.

A New Experience

The SASI program is the only one that I found, of all the programs that I researched, which focused on addressing the disruptive trends of today. I was at a point in my career when I really wanted some time to think about what I should do next and taking a year off to do a master’s was perfect for me.

I also did not take the opportunity to study abroad during my undergrad which is something I always regretted so this year and last was a great time for me to experience living, studying, and working abroad for an extended time. France is a very meaningful place for me to be for many reasons. 

Learning from others in a diverse environment

The most exciting and memorable moments for me will be teaming up with three MBA students to form Team KiloWatt and getting the chance to go to the Hult Prize London Regionals to pitch our business idea. The journey from October to March which involved many hours of brainstorming, working and reworking and then reworking the pitch some more, as well as all the people we met, feedback and support we received, were truly memorable. In my humble opinion, dipping your feet into entrepreneurship is an essential part of every business school experience.

The other highlight for me is meeting all the diverse, talented, and ambitious people in the program from twenty-seven nationalities. I get a lot of energy from hearing my classmates’ ideas and dreams. They are all very hardworking and they drive me to up my game. I learn so much from working with them on various group projects.

Gaining new knowledge

Because my background up until coming to HEC Paris has been purely science-based, I really wanted to beef up my business knowledge. Specifically, I learned how to understand and present business models, build profit and loss financial statements, and recognize different marketing approaches. On the sustainability front, I am very interested in the energy sector and have learned a great deal about renewable energy technologies and financing, as well as the current state of energy geopolitics. 

Future prospects

My goal is to leverage my HEC Paris education as well as my previous work experience to find a sustainable program manager position in Europe (preferably London or Paris) where the job duties are to strategize, design, and implement successful sustainable initiatives in major areas of operations which affect greenhouse gas emissions.