AJ Hu knows what it takes to make it in China.
As a co-founder of The JLJ Group, AJ has helped hundreds of companies succeed in the highly attractive China market and he has some powerful advice for New Zealand’s aquaculture sector.

“China has great opportunities but it does take the right strategy and patience to be successful,” he said.
“It takes the right positioning, good execution and the right team.”

When it comes to business as we know it, China is not just another country – it’s a whole new world.
And addressing the cultural differences was one topic AJ spoke about at the 2010 New Zealand Aquaculture Conference.

“The most common errors are, missing a sound strategy, hiring wrong personnel, lack of patience and not taking the China cultural and business aspects into consideration.”

It’s a subject AJ has become a world-leading expert on since giving up a career in Silicone Valley that saw him work for companies like Nokia, 20th Century Fox and Pepsi.

“I had a great corporate career in Silicon Valley but with the China economy booming, my desire to go back to China became strong and I believed I could make more impact if I returned to China,” he said.
“And after around 10 years in a multinational corporate career and coupled with the entrepreneurial spirit from Silicon Valley, I felt it was the right time to go back to China and start something which could help bridge west and east, which led to establishing and working at JLJ.”

And in doing so, AJ himself has become somewhat of a bridge into this market.

“My job is to lead multi-division teams to help foreign companies to enter and grow in the China market,” he said.
“It has allowed me to witness China’s phenomenal development and watch it evolve into a strong player in the global economy.
“But it also enables me to make some impact on both the China market by bringing in new products/models/companies and on foreign companies with their international growth strategy.
“I work with companies and organisations from different industries and different countries, where I get exposed to many new or established products, technologies, services and business models as well as different cultures. In assisting a company with their China market entry, I leverage my understanding of both eastern and western worlds as well as expertise and experience to add value.”

Through helping more than 500 companies from 30 different countries to enter and grow in the China Market, AJ and the JLJ Group have themselves become a market leader.

“I am proud to say that with our assistance, hundreds of companies and organisations from almost every major sector, have successfully entered and grown in the China market.” AJ said.
“This has contributed to their own company growth and to China’s economy.
“Also, the JLJ Brand has grown into a well recognised and reputable one in both the international community and the Chinese government circles.
“Because of the work we’ve done in bridging developed countries with China’s economy, I was personally recognised by my former business school and awarded the 2009 Outstanding Alumni. I was the first Asian and the youngest recipient of this award.”