Liu Haiyang once believed he could build a successful and meaningful life in China. For years, nothing suggested otherwise. But after the shock of the COVID-19 lockdowns and a series of painful setbacks, he reached a point where he felt he “couldn’t see a future” anymore. By then, he was approaching fifty.

A graduate of Shanghai University with a degree in investment management, Liu worked exclusively for large foreign companies. His supervisors trusted him, his career advanced smoothly, and he enjoyed the type of professional stability many aspire to. While friends moved abroad in search of new paths, he never imagined doing the same.

After an early internship at a FedEx joint venture, he joined Lam Research’s Shanghai office, a Fortune 500 semiconductor company based in Silicon Valley. He handled global materials control and was frequently sent to the United States for training and meetings. In 2004, he transitioned to Nike China and soon spent several months at the company’s headquarters in Oregon working on an SAP project. He was later promoted to project manager.

Several years after that, Liu climbed even higher, joining Eaton Corporation’s China operations as supply chain management director, overseeing the construction of a 20,000-square-meter warehouse. In 2016, he moved to ITA Group as a senior analyst, returning to his passion for investment.

Then the pandemic arrived in China, and everything shifted.

…

Read the full article on Nspirement