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,oervingandmonitoringinterviewersandsupervisorsastheybegantofieldthis2000personstudy.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
