By that time, Liou had graduated from Ross and gone back to China to work – this time in the oil business. He quickly began to make contacts. Within a year, he was collaborating with several Houston- based Ross alumni who had started PacWest Consulting Partners, a consulting firm focused on the global unconventional oil and gas industry. “Using my network and their brains, we were able to scale up PacWest’s presence in Beijing in a very short time,” Liou said. In 2014, Liou formally joined the company, working with in-country clients engaged in exploration and production activities. Liou acknowledged that his WDI internship taught him lessons that stay with him still and provide daily inspiration. He recalled one instance when he accompanied a friend to Guiyang, the province’s capital city, to study energy trends there. To help villagers accept Liou’s friend and make her research interviews easier, the two agreed to perform in a local singing contest. Dressed in native garb and wearing makeup, the pair sang a Chinese folk song in front of thousands of people. “It was hilarious,” he said, “but it’s something I always reflect on, because it taught me the importance of localizing in order to develop ‘guanxi,’ or relationships, and to not be afraid to put myself out there and try new things.” As Liou continues to advance his career in China, he said he won’t forget what he learned while a WDI summer intern working overseas for the first time. “It’s important to be passionate,” he explained, “and also to develop your language fluency, people skills and cultural adaptability in order to be effective in a foreign land.” “It’s important to be passionate and also to develop your language fluency, people skills and cultural adaptability in order to be effective in a foreign land.” Tea farmers in China harvest leaves. 25th Anniversary 61