ihaveknownhongbinformorethanoneandahalfyears.ihiredhimtoworkformeasaresearchanalystatsrrinjulyof1996.srrisafull-servicemarketingresearchfirmwhoseclientsareprimarilylargeradiostatioandothermusicorientedmediacompaniessuchascapitalrecords,andmtvnetworks.myrolesatsrrincludemanagerofnewproductdevelopment(researchproductsandthesoftwaretoan
alyzetheresults),andinternalresearchcoultant(samplingmethodologyandmultivariatestatisticalanalysis).inaddition,asamemberofthemanagementteamatsrr,iamchargedwithcotantlyworkingtofindmoreefficient,cost-effectivemeaofgatheringreondentleveldataandproducingourresearchproducts.sincejoiningsrrasaseniorresearchanalyst,andmorerecentlyasmanagerofresearchanddevelopment,hongbinhasbeenamajorweaponinmyarsenaloftoolsforaccomplishingthesetasks.hongbinisacreativeandoriginalthinker.hehasnativeintelligence,greatcuriosityaboutpeopleandideas,andplentyofcommonseethathehasaliedtosolvingmanyproblemsatsrr.inaddition,hehasdemotratedexcellentpowersofoervation,andanabilitytocommunicateandsuggestchangeineffectivebutnon-threateningways.toillustrate…
earlyon,hongbinwasaignedtoanimportantresearchprojectasafill-inprojectmanager.inthisrolehewasreoibleforthetechnicalaectsofcreatingacomputer-basedsurveyquestioaire(fromonegiventohimbyourclientservicesdepartment),monitoringthetelephonedatacollectionproce,andcompletingthedataproceingandanalysisofthesurveyresults.
fromthebegiingofthisaignment,hongbinbegantore-defineourexpectatioofagoodprojectmanager.hestartedbyparticipatingindiscuiowiththeclientandsuggestingandimplementingseveralchangestothescriptthatshorteneditslengthandclarifiedtheitructiotoreondents.withoutpromptingorprecedenceheentseveraldaysworkingoddhours,oervingandmonitoringinterviewersandsupervisorsastheybegantofieldthisXXpersonstudy.withinafewdayshehadshortenedandclarifiedthescriptevenmore-removingredundantquestio,collaingmultiplequestiointoone,andimprovingtheflowfromquestiontoquestionandscreen-to-screen-alltothegreatpraiseofbothinterviewersandthedirectorofourphonecenter.hehadalsooervedsomethingaboutaparticularaectoftheinterviewingprocethatwascommontoallsurveysatsrr.hewroteamemotoseveralmanagersoutlininghisproposedchangeinmethodologythatclearlydemotrat edthevalueofhisidea:anaualcostreductionofcloseto$50,000.attheendoftheproject,hewroteaseveralpagecritiqueofourinterviewingandsupervisorystaff.hedescribedthecharacteristicsandskillsemployedbythebestinterviewershe'doervedandmadesuggestioforhowtheseskillscouldbetaughttotheentirestaff.hisrecommendatiowerewellreceivedandsoonimplementedbythev
erymanagerwhosestaffwasbeingcritiqued;suchwasthevalueofhiscontributionandtheskillandseitivitywithwhichhepresentedhisideas.
inproceingthesurveyresults,hongbinalsoquicklylearnedtouseseveraladvancedstatisticaltechniquesincludingclusteranalysisanddiscriminantanalysiswithwhichhehadonlyapaingknowledgepriortotheproject.
hongbinhasalsodemotratedhistechnicalandanalyticalabilitiesinhelpingcreateanewmodelforbiddingonnewbusine,andinearheadingthedevelopmentoftoolthatusedamaximumlikelihoodalgorithmforascribingmiingreondentdata.recently,
hongbinhelpedmeidentifythemostdesirablequalificatioandbackgroundofcomputerprogrammingcandidates,andheaistedmeintherecruitingandmentoringoftwochinesestudentintertothisposition.theyhavebothmadesignificantcontributioinonlyafewmonthsofemployment.hongbinisnotanativeenglisheakerorwriter,andthus,hehashadtoworkveryhardtoclearlycommunicatehisideas.ihaveseenhimgrowinthisareatremendouslyoverthelastoneandhalfyears.hisattentivelisteningandgreatenthusiasmhashelpedhimovercomeanylanguagelimitatio.heisbothself-confidentandself-deprecating,andhasagreatseeofhumorthathashelpedhimformstrongrelatiohiwithsubordinates,peers,andmembersofourmanagementteam.managersinotherdepartmentsfrequentlyseekhisadvice,andhisnameisalwaysatthetopofthelistwhenchoosingteammemberstoearheadimportantcompanyinitiatives.
inalloftheseareas,hongbinwuhasgonebeyondexpectatio,andhasout-shinedallothersinhispeer-groupatsrr.hiseffortswererecentlyrewardedwithapromotiontothepositionofmanagerofresearch&development.
hongbinisverylikeableandambitiousperson.ihavenodoubtthathewillbeaseriousandenthusiasticstudent,andsomedayaquitesuccefulseniorlevelmanagerorentrepreneurthatyouwouldbeproudtocallanalumni.
sincerely,
markpetermanvice
presidentsrr