From a dream to fulfillment of potential

“I have come a long way from that small-town girl with a head full of dreams, but one thing that has not changed is my drive to succeed and always be the best I can be,” Massey’s alumna Lili Wang says.

A free spirit and an unknown adventure

From where Lili stood, at the border entrance gate, she could almost see Auckland – the City of Sails. She could picture the Auckland Harbour Bridge covered with the golden light of the rising sun; she could visualize cars as they moved down the motorway and disappeared toward the skyline; and she could imagine what lay almost within reach. It was the 2nd of December 1991, the day Lili landed in Aotearoa alone, with just one large suitcase.

“Here I am.” Lili took a deep breath and said, “It’s time for a new adventure.”

After completing an undergraduate degree in banking and working for three years in China, Lili arrived in New Zealand knowing that she wanted to further her education. Having been through a tough time struggling with overcoming language difficulties, wondering where her true passion lay, and even crying on a crowded Queen Street, Lili found Massey University was the best choice to help set her direction.

Lili started with a postgraduate diploma in banking at Massey University in 1993 and then pursued her master’s degree in business studies at Massey.

“Looking back, I must admit that it was not easy to study a foreign language in a new country, and life was not easy in those times. But in the end, it was all worth it, and that experience forced me to become stronger and equipped me with the needed tools for success,” Lili says.

Traveling between Auckland and Palmerston North during her studies, Lili is grateful that Massey’s block courses allowed her to acquire knowledge while starting a new life in a foreign country.

“Although Massey’s extramural approach is different from the program I’ve previously participated in, I truly believe it was Massey that made my life easier as I could settle down quickly in a new environment.” A few years later, Lili’s husband took block courses at Massey as he learned from Lili’s study experiences, knowing he could develop in-depth knowledge and, in the meantime, keep a full-time job.

“I always consider myself one of Massey’s ambassadors,” Lili says with a laugh.

Lili has cherished memories of campus life. “I remember walking along the duck pond, feeling the breeze and sunshine caressing my face; I remember chatting with schoolmates in the dining hall, and contacting those in the banking profession at high levels.”

Working to excel

A great passion for banking and a belief in putting knowledge into practice drove Lili to find a job at ASB Bank. “I was fortunate!” Lili says, “I am proud to say I did well during my five years at the bank. The skills that I had learned at Massey served me well, and I was consistently a top performer.” 

One of her most significant achievements was in 1997, when Lili was voted one of the four finalists for Young Banker of the Year for the whole country. However, she did not stop there. “Massey had taught me to always strive for more, so I left the bank and started my own mortgage brokering business.”

Fulfilling a childhood writing dream

Being self-employed, Lili created a successful mortgage brokering business while at the same time, striving toward a new goal that had a connection to her childhood.

“Growing up, my parents were teachers in our small rural town. There was a reading-friendly environment at home since I was a child, which cultivated a love of reading and stimulated an interest in writing – I was always eager to write something for myself and others.”

Alongside her brokering business, she placed advertisements in the Chinese Herald, a leading ethnic newspaper she had read since arriving in New Zealand, to connect with clients. Shortly afterward, Lili became a writer for this publication.

“Again, I used the knowledge I gained from Massey Business School to write a financial column that helped motivate and educate migrants to achieve their financial goals. I received great feedback and developed a large following, which helped my business succeed.”

Lili has been running her business for eighteen years and has made it extraordinarily successful, with one in ten people in the Chinese community being her client. “It was gratifying helping migrants through my services find their slice of paradise in this beautiful country,” Lili says.

Bridging communities

Being a senior professional and high-achieving business practitioner for twenty-four years in New Zealand, Lili entered the media industry and took up ownership of the Chinese Herald. Since then, it has grown from solely a newspaper to the digital arena with a WeChat profile and a website – the Chinese NZ Herald.

The Chinese Herald has been a three-time winner of the New Zealand China Media Awards 2014–2016 and the Best Medium/Large Business of the Year 2018 at the Newmarket Business Awards. In 2021 in a prominent survey on “the influence of Chinese media globally,” the Chinese Herald ranked second for social media influence out of over 1000 overseas Chinese media.

Lili believes the role of ethnic media is to bridge communities – for those overseas who want to learn more about this country and for the majority here to understand minorities better. Talking about the Chinese Herald, Lili says, “It’s important to have ethnic media. It’s not only about language – the Chinese Herald acts as a friend and support network to the thousands of migrants who live in New Zealand, nourishing both their mind and their soul. Communicating in their mother tongue helps people stay connected to their roots as they adjust to a new country.”

This is especially important now, when the pandemic has impacted the media sector over the past three years. “It’s a tough business. Although our news traffic increased over 300%, our advertising revenues decreased heavily,” says Lili, “But it’s our passion. We have been widely praised for our on-time and reliable news publishing and reporting.”
  
Keeping the newspaper and its online channels supplied with content is a team of over twenty staff who are based in New Zealand. Speaking of her team, Lili says most have only arrived in the country a few years ago, and the spring they have in their steps and excitement to start a life here reminds her of when she came to New Zealand with hope and a vision. 

From a young student to her community standing today, Lili describes her journey as “seizing opportunities in a timely way, facing challenges bravely, and striving to do her best.”  

“One opportunity has led to the next, but it all started with deciding to study at Massey University. Massey supported me as a student and continues to support me today. I have always been proud to tell my friends and family that I chose this prestigious university that made me who I am today. As a media outlet owner, I am honored to promote Massey to a wider audience in New Zealand and China,” Lili says.