xingli

myPortfolio

Summary

I hold a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Sydney and am currently pursuing a Master of Marketing at the University of New South Wales, majoring in Data Analytics and Brand Strategy. I have a solid interdisciplinary business background, enabling me to integrate economic insights with market strategy. I strive for excellence, pay attention to detail, and possess strong learning and problem-solving skills. I actively seek to apply my academic knowledge to practical situations and hope to create tangible value for your company.

My Career Goals

I aspire to become a private wealth manager, helping clients achieve asset preservation and growth and long-term financial goals through professional planning. I’m passionate about building strong client relationships and providing customized solutions. My goal is to become an advisor to a top financial institution. I’m currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Marketing and am self-studying for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) program to strengthen my core competencies in client insights and investment analysis.

Problem Solving

Description: For a group project in the “Market Strategy” course, we were tasked with developing a turnaround strategy for an established retail brand facing declining market share. The core challenge was how to attract a new generation of young consumers without alienating existing loyal customers.

Actions and Solutions: Rather than jumping into assumptions, I led the team in a comprehensive analysis. We conducted a SWOT analysis to identify internal strengths and external market trends, and designed online surveys and focus groups to collect quantitative and qualitative data from two target groups. Cross-examining this data revealed a key insight: while existing customers valued the brand’s quality and heritage, new customers dismissed it as “outdated.” Based on this, we proposed a “brand refresh”: preserving the quality of the core product line (to appease existing customers) while launching a new, more fashionable sub-brand, supplemented by a digital marketing strategy (to attract new customers). We used financial modeling to forecast revenue growth from the new line and developed a phased rollout plan to manage risk.

Outcome: This solution received the highest score in the course for its data-driven decision-making process, deep understanding of complex business issues, and actionable, evidence-based solutions.

Business Communication

Throughout my studies, I’ve consistently prioritized business communication as a core skill, cultivating it with deliberate dedication. A key example was a group project in the Marketing Management course. We were tasked with developing an international market entry plan for a local company. As team leader, I coordinated five diverse team members and ultimately presented the proposal to a simulated “company board.”

I first led a team meeting to clarify project objectives and assign tasks based on team members’ strengths, ensuring effective communication and alignment. When writing the report, I proactively integrated diverse perspectives, translating complex analysis into a logically coherent document with clear data visualizations. In the final 15-minute presentation, I went beyond simply reciting slides. Instead, I delivered a targeted and persuasive explanation of key issues the “board” might be concerned about, such as return on investment and risk management, and successfully answered a variety of pointed questions.

This project honed my skills in cross-team collaboration, professional written reports, and precise oral presentations to senior decision-makers, effectively preparing me for the future business environment.

Teamwork

In the Business Consulting Project, I collaborated with four students from different disciplines to develop a growth strategy for a local startup. I proactively took on the role of coordinator and integrator: I led the initial brainstorming sessions to ensure everyone’s perspectives were heard and allocated research tasks based on their respective professional backgrounds (e.g., finance, marketing). When the team disagreed on target customer positioning, I didn’t let the discussion stall. Instead, I guided everyone back to the core data, integrating the diverse perspectives into a unified customer profile based on market data, and adjusted the strategic direction accordingly. Finally, I was responsible for integrating and polishing the core components of the final report, ensuring the plan’s logical consistency and professionalism. Our plan received high praise from the client for its practicality and innovation, and received the highest score in the course. This experience deeply impressed me that effective teamwork relies on proactive communication, respect for expertise, and a commitment to achieving shared results.

Responsible Business Practice

In the Strategic Management course, our group was tasked with developing a five-year development strategy for a fast-fashion company. I proactively initiated and led an assessment of the environmental and social impacts of the traditional model. Through my research, I highlighted labor risks and resource waste in the company’s supply chain and persuaded the team to integrate ESG (environmental, social, and governance) considerations into the core strategy, rather than just as an add-on. Our proposal ultimately included investments in closed-loop supply chains, the use of environmentally friendly materials, and transparent production. While this might increase costs in the short term, the report detailed how this would create long-term competitive advantages by enhancing brand reputation, mitigating regulatory risks, and attracting sustainable investment. The proposal received high marks for its forward-looking and comprehensive approach. This process convinced me that responsible business practices are not a cost burden but a core driver of innovation and value creation.

Global and Cultural Competence

For my undergraduate economics group project at the University of Sydney, I collaborated with three classmates from China, India, and Brazil on an analytical report on trade barriers in the Asia-Pacific region. Initially, due to cultural differences, the team experienced friction over communication styles (directness vs. subtlety) and timelines (strict deadlines vs. flexibility). I proactively proposed establishing a clear communication charter, defining meeting frequency, decision-making mechanisms, and deadlines, and encouraging each team member to share their culturally informed business perspectives. I served as a cultural bridge, mediating diverse perspectives and ensuring everyone’s input was fully heard and integrated. Ultimately, we not only completed the report efficiently, but also included additional analysis of the impact of cultural differences on regional trade policy, a unique perspective that earned special recognition from the professor. This experience taught me how to build trust, resolve conflict, and create synergy within a diverse team.

Leadership Development

While serving as project leader for the UNSW Marketing Association, I led a five-person team in planning and executing an industry sharing event for international students. Initially, we faced challenges such as a limited budget, cross-cultural coordination, and a lack of promotional channels. Rather than waiting for instructions, I proactively developed a phased implementation plan and assigned tasks based on team members’ strengths, such as connecting local students to alumni networks and international students to handle multilingual promotion. To motivate the team, I established periodic celebrations and encouraged members to come up with innovative ideas. Ultimately, we adopted a hybrid model of “online live broadcast + offline workshop,” significantly expanding the event’s impact. Through effective delegation and continuous communication, we attracted over 120 participants and won the Student Union’s Innovation Event Award. This experience taught me that leadership lies in inspiring team initiative, turning challenges into opportunities for innovation, and jointly delivering outstanding results.