LinkedIn Co-founder Reid Hoffman Outlines China Strategy

SHANGHAI, May 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- LinkedIn intends to succeed in the China market where other foreign firms have failed by localising its product and running its business like a high-energy start-up. That's the word from LinkedIn Co-founder Reid Hoffman and its China President Derek Shen who were among the panellists gathered in CEIBS' signature glass pyramid tonight to discuss business opportunities from a venture capitalist's perspective. CEIBS Executive President Professor Zhu Xiaoming and Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship Gong Yan joined them for the discussion. Thousands signed up but only 200 were lucky enough to get seats to the event which reflected CEIBS' well-known tagline, "China Depth, Global Breadth."

This is the first in a series of LinkedIn Influencers Forum to be held at China Europe International Business School's Shanghai Campus. In line with the topic being discussed, "Entrepreneurs, Investors, and Global Opportunities," Hoffman had the following advice to offer: have a flexible plan, build up your interpersonal relationships, and take risks - wisely. Known as "the most connected man in Silicon Valley," the LinkedIn Executive Chairman is one of the world's most productive and successful investors, he's also founding board member of PayPal, and Partner at Greylock Partners.

Shen, who is also LinkedIn's Global VP, described a lean, driven team of 20 employees in their China operations. "We run LinkedIn China like a start-up. We need people with a lot of energy," he said. LinkedIn China already has more than 5 million users.

CEIBS President Professor Zhu Xiaoming, who spoke of the challenges employers face in finding talented workers and the battle job hunters face in finding great companies to work for because of a lack of data, spoke of the role that LinkedIn and CEIBS can play in solving these issues. "At CEIBS, we are committed to educating responsible business leaders who will shape global development, and a business social network naturally evolves from this," he said. "Our collaboration with LinkedIn will provide our MBA graduates with a platform for lifetime career development, and also make it easier for our thousands of alumni to keep in touch and create more business opportunities. We also hope to include LinkedIn as one of the cases in the Shanghai MBA Case Development Platform."

About CEIBS:
The China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) offers a unique combination of "China Depth, Global Breadth" - taking advantage of its position as a leading business school in Asia to train responsible leaders. CEIBS' vision is to become the most respected international business school by linking East and West in teaching, research, and business practice and by promoting China's social and economic development through high-impact knowledge creation and dissemination. The school's origins as a joint venture between the European Commission and the Chinese government have allowed CEIBS to develop a unique positioning in offering truly world-class business management education with proven China expertise. After 20 years of phenomenal growth, CEIBS' impressive 13,000 plus alumni base includes 2,000+ CEOs and top-level decision makers.

SOURCE China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)