15th November 2025 – Now in its 30th year, the CEIBS Global EMBA welcomed the arrival of its 31st cohort. Made up of 97 business leaders dran from all over the world to the school’s Shanghai Campus, they arrived ready and eager to begin their initial leadership module over the next eight days.

The Opening Ceremony for the class of GEMBA 2025 was hosted by the programme’s director and CEIBS Associate Dean, Professor Bala Ramasamy. During his welcome speech, the professor highlighted the exceptional skill, experience and diversity of the new student intake.

“I am proud to see that this cohort represents a remarkable level of seniority and leadership,” said Professor Ramasamy.  “In this room we have a special group of high-achieving, high-potential decision-makers who are all here to reach even greater heights in their personal and professional growth. We welcome all of you to CEIBS and to the GEMBA programme.”

CEIBS Prof. of Economics, Associate Dean and GEMBA Programme Director, Bala Ramasamy

CEIBS Leadership Welcome Speeches

By tradition, every year the Opening Ceremony begins with members of the school’s senior leadership offering some words of welcome and advice. This year, CEIBS President (China), Professor Wang Hong was the first to officially address the newest cohort.

“Dear students, starting from today, CEIBS is your home. This applies wherever you come from, and wherever you go,” said Professor Wang. “We wish you every success in your learning journey. We hope that while you are here, you have the courage needed to change and innovate, the boldness to dare to ask questions, and the patience to find the right answers.”

CEIBS President Wang Hong

Then followed an address from CEIBS’ European President, Professor Dominque Turpin, who reminded the assembled cohort that the next two years will present them all with many opportunities to become more openminded and adaptable business leaders.

“The Global EMBA programme is all about building bridges – between China and the world, between theory and practice, between now and the future. Such bridges allow you to strengthen the links between your academic knowledge and the realities of modern business. Make no mistake, this journey will be tough but if you stay curious, humble and driven, I assure you that it will be worth it.”

CEIBS’ European President, Professor Dominque Turpin

Associate Professor of Management Byron Lee then gave a speech as representative of the CEIBS faculty. He explained that while every new student intake is unique, he has observed a “common culture” that forms in each successive GEMBA cohort.

“This culture can be summarised using the Three Cs — Care, Catalyst, and Community,” Professor Lee explained. “When you care for your classmates, you progress as a connected group. This becomes the catalyst for positive personal change as your classmates inform, educate and support you. This bond, this feeling of constant connection and support, will last longer than the next two years; it will remain with you for the rest of your lives.”

CEIBS Associate Professor of Management Byron Lee 

Alumni Representatives Speeches

Alongside the senior leaders and faculty members, tradition also dictates that the incoming GEMBA cohort hear from business leaders who have walked the very path that they are about to explore.

The first alumni representative to address the audience was GEMBA 2021’s Anne Cai, Vice President, HR and Corporate Communications for Moët Hennessy Diageo China (MHDC). In her speech, she advised the new GEMBA 2025 class that the knowledge, self-awareness and personal development they achieve during the next two years will be underpinned by the friendships and personal connections that they make.

“Lifelong friendship is the key element that makes GEMBA unique, and uniquely valuable. It is the people who make the difference. Your classmates, your project teammates, your professors and the alumni network – they will help you grow in ways you cannot yet appreciate, but you soon will. They will become like family, and you will be happy to share the road with them.”

Anne Cai, Vice President, HR and Corporate Communications for Moët Hennessy Diageo China (MHDC)

Second representative, Andreas Hornfischer, General Manager of E.G.O. Components (China) and a GEMBA 2020 alumni, also emphasised the importance of teamwork and shared experience. He urged the incoming cohort to carefully consider how they will make their time at CEIBS applicable to their work in a practical manner that is relevant to the realities of their role, company and industry’s wider circumstances.

“Above all else, GEMBA taught me that knowledge isn’t power; applying knowledge to drive appropriate action, that is power,” Andreas explained. “Everything I learned at CEIBS, I immediately took it back to my team and tried to apply it to our strategies and everyday work. That’s how you turn knowledge into executable actions, and that the most important thing that GEMBA teaches you.”

Andreas Hornfischer, General Manager of E.G.O. Components (China)

A Globally Diverse Class

Professor Ramasamy then highlighted the remarkable breadth of experience held collectively by the GEMBA 2025 class, drawing the audience’s attention to a short video that demonstrated their variety of roles, industrial sectors, educational achievements and geographical backgrounds.

The incoming cohort hails from 25 countries and regions spread across five continents, representing over 37 cities worldwide. 45% of the class originate from outside the Chinese Mainland, with a record-breaking 38% traveling from overseas to attend their modules at the Shanghai campus.

The class average age is 41, which is also the same percentage of its female participants. Almost half of the cohort hold a master’s degree or higher, along with an average of 17 years of work experience per individual member, with 12 years in management roles.

This wealth of professional experience stretches across 20 major sectors, including healthcare, professional services, manufacturing, finance, and fashion. Roughly a quarter of the class hold positions of leadership for international operations in Chinese enterprises, while others are driving global strategies for multinational corporations.

“This is quite possible the most globally diverse cohort GEMBA has had to date,” noted Professor Ramasamy after the video had finished. “At the core of our Global EMBA programme is the mission to nurture a global mindset and enhance cross-cultural management skills. You are the leaders who will bridge markets, cultures, and industries, making an impact both here in China and across the globe.”

CEIBS Prof. of Economics, Associate Dean and GEMBA Programme Director, Bala Ramasamy

In recognition of their diversity and the significant logistical efforts they have made to attend their GEMBA studies, five students from the 2025 class then received a small token of the school’s appreciation. CEIBS Secretary of CPC Committee Dr Ma Lei presented the following five students with a mystery gift bag for increasing the global representation of the programme:

• Luis Garcia from Mexico – Located farthest from Shanghai
• Majid G aka “Lucky” from South Africa – Located 2nd farthest from Shanghai
• Svetlana Yankovskaya – 1st GEMBA student representing Kazakhstan
• Gilbert Barasa – 1st GEMBA student representing Kenya
• Firas Al Abduwani – 1st GEMBA student representing Oman

Building a Borderless Community

Bringing the Opening Ceremony to a close, CEIBS Vice President and Dean Professor Frank Bournois invited 25 members of the new cohort to join him on the stage and present their nation’s flag in a parade designed to promote the values of diversity, solidarity and mutual respect that extends beyond borders. These are three hallmarks of the GEMBA programme and CEIBS’ broader mission to build bridges between China and the world.

“Throughout history, flags have represented identity, unity, and hope,” said Professor Bournois. They are symbols of exploration and connection across the world’s oceans. As ambassadors of CEIBS and GEMBA, your job is to explore and forge connections too, in order to bring about positive change for yourselves and the wider world.”

CEIBS Vice President and Dean Frank Bournois

The final ceremonial duty of the day fell to Vice President, Co-Dean and Professor of Economics, Professor Zhu Tian, who asked all members of the new GEMBA class to open the velvet box they had all been given, take out the pin that lay inside, and attach it to the lapel of a fellow classmate.

“You will notice that each of your shiny new pins has the traditional Chinese character ‘he 合’ inscribed on it. This symbol has longstanding connections to CEIBS, as its three-part meaning can be described as: Union, Collaboration, and Innovation. So, unite as a class, learn from each other, and innovate as you strive for excellence as individuals and as a team. Remember also that excellence extends beyond financial success, and that all your achievements have meaning.”

Vice President, Co-Dean and Professor of Economics, Professor Zhu Tian

Welcome the new class of GEMBA 2025

We welcome the new class of GEMBA 2025, and we wish every member a deeply meaningful learning journey that expands their personal mindset as well as their professional skillset.

Together, we achieve more!