By Julie Ortega (’19)
I’m always amazed by how many pathways can lead into social impact careers. As a first-year MBA student specializing in social impact, I find it heartening that: a) people from so many industries have found ways to fold impact into their disparate interests; and b) I don’t have to follow a single, rigid plan to attain a career in the impact space.
Hugh Chang (’90) is a great example of someone who didn’t initially plan to pursue a career underpinned by social impact but found his way there somewhat serendipitously (and is thriving ― most recently as director of strategy planning and management for global development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation). Chang started his career in technology after obtaining an undergraduate degree in electrical and electronics engineering. His time in tech was nothing if not exciting: Chang worked at Microsoft when it was an organization of fewer than 5,000 people and experiencing massive growth. In fact, the whole country was undergoing momentous technological change at the time. “I got to help [Microsoft] make personal computers pervasive in people’s everyday lives,” he told a crowd at a recent UCLA Anderson School of Management High Impact Tea event organized by Impact@Anderson.
Chang explained how he continued his education with a master’s degree in bioengineering, during which time his wheels started turning on how technology could bring social benefits to people. Working at Microsoft, he’d have the ability to affect people’s lives on a grand scale, but he decided he wanted to have a different kind of impact on the world.
That’s when the first fortunate coincidence of his career occurred: Chang ran into Patty Stonesifer at the mall. Stonesifer had worked above Chang at Microsoft but had since become the first CEO at the Gates Foundation. As they caught up that day, she encouraged Chang to look into the foundation. Management had just decided to move into global health, and they could use his bioengineering brain.
The Gates Foundation onboarded Chang as a consultant, where he met Dr. Gordon Perkin, a long-time associate at the organization who served for a time as head of its global health program and who co-founded global health care nonprofit PATH. Chang began consulting at PATH and later worked there full time as director of special initiatives.
Such was Chang’s entry into a successful social impact career, sparked by a chance encounter at the mall, as he tells it. He joined the Gates Foundation full time nearly six years ago and worked in maternal newborn and child health, where his bioengineering background (particularly his familiarity with the terminology, he says) came in handy. At the same time, as Chang explained to the UCLA Anderson audience, his dynamic and diverse team of physicians and public health experts was a vital part of their department’s success. “I didn’t have that type of background,” he noted, “but I had the advantage of being able to ask my team members questions.” Building on their differences, rather than allowing them to be an obstacle, was key to creating smart strategies and alignment, Chang said.
As Chang spoke with moderator Gayle Northrop (’96) and the Anderson audience, his passion for impact was clear. He credits coincidence with helping him get where he is now, but what stuck with me was his dedication to always staying open to new opportunities. “Being ready for opportunity is the most important thing,” he said, “because you never know when one will come up.”
Chang recently stepped down from his position at the Gates Foundation, and, especially after hearing his story, I’m excited to see where his path takes him next. I have no doubt it will be worth writing about.
Interesting and emotional article!
Posted by: César Romero | 06/13/2018 at 10:40 AM
Technology has been used to redefine social change in the society. From politics to social affairs, technology has had a significant impact
Posted by: CBPS | 06/13/2018 at 12:30 AM