GK Alumni Talks | Ten Years · Ten People: Benhua Yang

As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Guanghua-Kellogg EMBA program (referred to as GK program) in 2024, we reflect on the journey from GK01 to GK10, where our esteemed GKers have consistently made a significant impact with low ego, both in China and on the global stage. Taking this opportunity, we are going to interview 10 distinguished alumni representatives in a special GK Alumni Talk Series. The interview will delve into the enduring legacy of the GK program, management insight, industry foresight, challenges and successes, etc.

Ten years, Ten People. These ten GKers will form a vivid picture of the GK community, which is also an interpretation of their profound impact on the era.

In this feature, we are honored to introduce Karl Yang (Benhua Yang), a GK06 alumnus, who is the Founder and CEO of China Intertrans. As an active participant in the multinational logistics industry, Benhua Yang has demonstrated exceptional leadership in international negotiations and corporate strategy planning. Faced with the challenges of the pandemic, he successfully led his company to steady business growth. Through his learning experience in the GK EMBA program, he not only mastered advanced strategies for international negotiations but also optimized the company’s operational model, strengthened team cohesion, and enhanced the company’s competitiveness and adaptability in a complex and volatile market environment. His leadership and strategic vision have enabled the company to thrive in adversity, showcasing the potential and resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises in global competition.

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I’m Karl Yang, from the GK06 cohort. I am the founder and CEO of China Intertrans, with over 20 years of experience in the logistics industry. I’m also a marathon enthusiast, with a personal best of 3 hours and 19 minutes.

Cash was everywhere, money was everywhere—would you be tempted to pick it up?

2020, 2021, and 2022 marked three years of unprecedented prosperity in our industry. In March 2021, a major incident occurred in the Suez Canal, and with freight rates continuously rising, I faced a critical decision. I could have leveraged the situation to pursue higher profits, or I could continue with steady operations, maintaining a healthy growth rate. After evaluating the trade-offs,  I chose the latter.

I decided not to expand the scale of my business, and even proactively reduced order volumes. By the end of 2021, several of my partners had run out of cash and were forced to sell their companies at low prices or transfer control at a discount. When it comes to balancing profit and maintaining steady cash flow, you have to make a trade-off. As Professor Hubbard emphasized in his Strategy Formulation course, 'There is no strategy without trade-offs.

In other words, you must resist temptation and ask yourself, when you’re about to pick up the money, is this a trap or a real opportunity? To me, it looked more like a trap.

My industry is freight forwarding, which is an asset-light industry. But even in an asset-light business, you still have assets. So, what are your assets? For us, they are our hardworking and loyal employees. In my opinion, investing in our employees is the most valuable investment we can make, and it offers the highest return—without question. I strongly agree with Sir Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Airlines, who said, "If you take care of your employees, they will take care of your customers."

During the pandemic, we faced unprecedented challenges, especially in the early months of 2020. I firmly believe in the value of long-termism, which is why I didn’t lay off a single employee. We wouldn’t lay off any employees until the company ran out of cash. This was my promise to all of my employees. For small and medium-sized enterprises like ours, how do we fulfill our social responsibility? Keep employees employed.

To me, engaging in charitable activities is a form of long-termism that goes beyond mere financial returns. We will continue to do philanthropy and commit to it for the long term. While studying in GK, I learned that Guanghua alumni have built over 150 Boya Libraries for students in rual area of China. I asked myself, "Why don’t I contribute one as well?" Whether it's donating books or sponsoring the Gobi Desert Challenge, we are contributing to the long-term development of education and the community. We aim to create a lasting positive impact on society, and I feel proud to be able to make even a small contribution to these efforts.

This marks my fifth year in the GK program. Over these five years, I’ve interacted with friends from various joint EMBA programs, and I’ve come to the conclusion that GK is the best EMBA program in China. During my time at GK, I had the privilege of attending courses taught by distinguished professors such as Professor Liu Qiao, Professor Ma Li, Professor Victoria Medvec, and several other esteemed faculty members. These helped me develop a critical mindset, which has allowed me to avoid many pitfalls in my business practice, particularly in investment and negotiation.

I’ve also found highly reliable business partners, who have provided tremendous support throughout my career. Through systematic learning in management, I’ve mastered how to make sound decisions in complex business environments. This has enabled my company to overcome one challenge after another, both during and after the pandemic

In our in-depth conversation with Karl Yang, we came to understand that long-termism is not just a strategy, but a belief and a commitment. Whether it’s investing in health, nurturing employees as a business leader, or engaging in selfless philanthropy, all are vivid expressions of the spirit of long-termism. In this era of uncertainty and risk, as business leaders, we must combine deep insight with steadfast conviction, carefully evaluating each business decision to ensure that every step aligns with our long-term vision and goals, steadily advancing towards lasting and profound impact.

Over a decade, a collection of ten remarkable individuals will converge to create a dynamic portrait of the GK alumni community. We eagerly anticipate the forthcoming insights from the GK Alumni Talks, as we collectively bear witness to the intellect and grace of our GK alumni.

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