Meet Our Alums
Timothy O'Shaughnessy
Class of ‘06
Major: Chinese and Program of Liberal Studies
Tim, center in picture, who is from Wichita, Kansas, was drawn to the idea of taking on a challenging language that comes from one of the major cultures of the world and one which he thought might help him further himself both personally and professionally after graduation. He was also dedicated to the notion that Americans should take it upon themselves to become more aware of and interested in the world beyond their borders. At Notre Dame, Tim started out with a minor, but was inspired to go for the major by the professors in the program. While an undergraduate, he also participated in two programs abroad during his junior year, which opened “huge doors” for him. Through Notre Dame, he attended Beijing University which is considered the top school in all of China. Reflecting on this experience, Tim notes, “In doing business in China today it really helps to have a background with this university; no matter where I go in China these days from Heilongjiang province to Guangzhou everyone knows “BeiDa,” as they call it locally. My experience there also helped me get accepted into the exclusive IUP program at Qinghua University, which is regarded as the second best University in China and the top technical school. The program at Qinghua had the most stringent language requirements both to get in and to stay in. My experience and time there was invaluable in terms of achieving language fluency and also for gaining contacts and understanding the political and business world of Beijing.”
Tim further recalls: “After graduating from Notre Dame I did what most graduates do, I looked for a good job! I was intent on the idea of finding a job that would get me back to China. The opportunity eventually came in the form a small to medium size American company named Sentry International which manufactured, distributed, and repaired oil field equipment. I had previously had an opportunity to work in Argentina for an oil E&P company in the Patagonia region where I worked for several months on equipment almost identical to the equipment Sentry produced; so the focus behind the company intrigued me. Sentry was a company with 30 years history in brand existence but was now in an entirely new incarnation as it experienced rapid growth fueled in large part by growth in China. As a result Sentry was in serious need, as are many small to medium size enterprises these days, for people with an understanding of how to work in China, who can speak the language, and who will live there long term. It seemed a perfect fit for me and them as well. I joined Sentry in the fall of 06 starting in US for a quarter then moving to Shanghai China permanently on January 1st of 07.”
Tim is now the general manager for Sentry International’s Shanghai representation office. His responsibilities include managing and growing the Shanghai office and its logistics and quality control team of nine people; overseeing the operations for a joint-venture gearbox factory in Luoyang, China with around 80 workers; and maintaining the key relationships with heads of our primary manufacturing partners across China. During the past year and a half as part of the expansion efforts and the search for new acquisitions or partners, Tim has had the tough, but extremely rewarding, task of traveling all over China to more than 25 different factories in seven different provinces, where no English is spoken at all.
His advice to people who may wish to study with the East Asian Languages and Cultures department at Notre Dame is simply “go for it.” Says Tim, “It would be a chance to study under some extremely intelligent people and also understand another part of the world, all the while gaining an invaluable and concrete skill. Chinese is one of the languages of tomorrow, and the ability to speak it has power. Whether it’s Chinese, Japanese, Arabic or something else studying a foreign language is a very good idea, and in the least studying foreign cultures approaches a necessity. Globalization does not translate into America alone and on top. The world is growing and from many directions making perhaps one of the best positions anyone can be in for the coming future is with a foot in more than one world. “Cultural arbitrage” as one might call it is an immensely important task for the future. It is also one of the best ways to enrich your life and make it more interesting and fulfilling. This for me is what the department of East Asian Languages and Cultures is all about.”
