Are You Ready to Be Inspired?
I read a story of Judy Tong Wenhong. I guess you’re all familiar with her. Behind this beautiful and intelligent woman there’s a pain she faced during her struggling years.
Her story is quite inspirational.
Ready to get started?
Judy Tong Wenhong was 30 years when she joined the Chinese e-commerce hub in 2000. Without any former cognate experience in the field. Tong applied for the post of administrative assistant in Alibaba’s company but didn’t pass the first interview. When she applied again Tong was given the chance to work at the front desk. One week after her employment she tendered her resignation letter due to misunderstanding between her and a colleague.
Despite Tong shaky beginning, it was her persistence that eventually assisted her to chart her destiny within the company. Her colleagues reportedly praised her for her foresight and the meticulous way she carried out her assignments.
Several colleagues noticed how Tong went beyond her daily tasks, mailing Hangzhou-Shanghai train schedules to colleague on businesses trips to Shanghai. She stocked cold drinks for them during summer and assisting clients who have questions meant for customer services.
A year later she was transferred to the customer support department. Three months after that she was reposted to the administrative division but this time as director. Tong was quoted saying
It’s a great challenge for me to lead the group because I was just a receptionist in the past.
According to Reuters, Tong rise through the ranks continued over the next six years that earned her, many promotions from managing the customer service center and human resources between 2007–2013.
During Tong’s stint as Vice President in several divisions, she encountered many challenges that test her mettle as a leader. Among her notable achievement include the West Lake Internet Symposium. It was a massive event where she successfully organized the group’s venture building project which she effectively oversaw.
Here’s the interesting part…
Tong joined Alibaba after one year it was established. When Jack Ma was allocating his company shares, he allocated to Tong 0.2% shares right. He said the shares will worth $100 million when Alibaba goes into the market later. He asked his then receptionist that she should remain in his company and not switch her job.
Picture of Judy Tong Wenhong
In the initial days, Alibaba struggled to mark its position in the global competition. Tong was in the wait for Alibaba to go public. She couldn’t see that occuring in the near future.
Tong waited years after but Alibaba never went public. She asked Jack Ma when will Alibaba go public in 2004? Jack Ma replied soon. She asked Jack similar question in 2006, he gave her similar answer.
In the year 2013, Jack asked Tong to remain in Alibaba and be patient. He told her that good times are coming and our company will go public anytime soon.
When it was 2014 and Tong was still waiting to see Alibaba going public. At last in September 2014, Alibaba went public on the New York Stock Exchange. The company’s was worth $245.7 billion.
In that same year, Tong was Alibaba’s first 27 partners and one of its nine female partners when the company went public on the New York Stock Exchange. It was then that Alibaba made history as the biggest United States IPO ever, raising $21.8 billion for the company.
Alibaba’s $68-a-share IPO price values the entire company at $170.8 billion. This make it the 23rd most valuable company in the Standard and Poor. This made it to be ahead of other tech giants such as Amazon at $150 billion.
With Jack Ma’s planned retirement Tong is poised to hold even bigger roles in the next years to come as one of Alibaba’s next generation leaders.
Her rise from holding an entry level job to one of Alibaba’s 27 partners is a testament to the importance of perseverance and dedication in paving the road to success.
Tong the former senior receptionist was promoted to the company Vice President. She became a millionaire from a receptionist post in the company she joined with $100 that later became $320 million when Alibaba went public.
Judy Tong Wenhong together with Jack Ma both on the right while Judy Tong Wenhog image only on the left.
Since January 2017 Judy Tong Wenhong had been Alibaba chief people officer.
Finally, this is one of the world’s most inspiring stories of hard work, smartness, loyalty, patience, perseverance and consistency.
Do not allow circumstances to control you. You can change your circumstances.
Problems are part of life and they come to make us strong.
So therefore, never give up if you have strong belief on your dreams.
