Crossing Borders:
Dr. Gerald Chan on building a multidisciplinary, international career
By Jessica Lau
The clear plastic tube was about an inch in length. It held a miniscule amount of DNA, invisible when dissolved in a precise mixture of chemicals. While working with these materials during his former days as a research scientist, Dr. Gerald Chan came to a realization:
“Life has got to be more than just this drop of colorless liquid.”
Chan has since become a successful businessman and the co-founder of Morningside Group, a private investment group that focuses on the biotechnology and health sectors, among other areas. He recently returned to his alma mater to share with students his perspectives on leadership and achieving success, as part of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Voices in Leadership discussion series.
As a research scientist who became an international businessman, Chan is well versed in the process of making transitions. From analyzing scientific data to making investment decisions, from managing holdings in the U.S. to conducting business in China, Chan crosses borders between disciplines and countries regularly in his work. He believes that in order to contribute and lead in different spheres, one must first fully understand each one.
Early in his career, Chan’s approach when moving to a new country was to completely integrate into his environment. When the Hong Kong native came to study in the U.S., he assimilated into American culture. However, later, when starting his business in China, he strictly spoke Mandarin and adopted local conventions — including wearing Chinese brands of clothing. Now, seen as an insider wherever he goes, he can readily transition between countries to bring about change.
Throughout his career, Chan has navigated countless difficult and risky decisions. After all, he works in the venture capital business — in his words, “the business of creating something that doesn’t exist.” When choosing which opportunities to take, Chan does not merely rely on hard data, but trusts his gut feeling instead. Chan is not making decisions on a whim; rather, he described his gut feeling as the “culmination of my whole life of learning, observing, doing…my successes, my failures.” He advised students to prepare for making successful decisions by seeking out a broad educational foundation. From required courses in the public health curriculum to topics in the humanities and social sciences, a breadth of knowledge informs good decisions.
Ultimately, Chan rejects the notion that success can be planned or defined.
Multiple students asked Chan to summarize his journey: What was the most important element to his success? What was the main takeaway message from his career? In response, Chan put to rest the common assumption that he followed a prescribed path to his current position. Decision outcomes are uncertain regardless of how one might try to prepare, so students should be open- minded when building their careers. As Chan explained,
“Grand plans only make sense when you look back. Prospectively, it is one step at a time.”
For more from the Voices in Leadership (@VoicesHSPH) series at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (@HarvardHSPH), visit www.hsph.harvard.edu/voices.
Story edited by Emilia Ling. For more on Emilia, check out her twitter page @emling
