Starry (Hongqian) Dong

Background

Starry (Hongqian) Dong, 32, grew up in Xi’an, China, and studied economics at the University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, from 1992 to 1996, graduating in the top three of her class.

She started her career in the investment and finance division of the China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC), where – over the course of five years – she gained broad experience of project management and finance arrangements, covering a diverse range of industries and markets.

Joining BP

In 2001 Starry embarked on her MBA at Tsinghua University in Beijing, completing an internship with BP Finance the following summer. She achieved her MBA and joined BP as a Helios Fellow in 2003. She took on her first permanent post-fellowship role in July 2005 in London.

BP roles

My first job was in structured finance in London. As a financial delivery manager, I was responsible for providing financial advice and support to several business units. It was really good for me to carry on with a familiar area of work, and it helped me to move into a new company, a new country and a very different industry.

I worked on the financing of a major project – the BTC pipeline BP is building from Azerbaijan to Turkey – and also on other ventures like a gas terminal project in Italy. This role gave me a good overview of the organization and its financial capability.

From there I moved across to our refining and marketing segment. My role was in strategy and I worked on an innovative project called ‘sustainable mobility’, in which the team was looking at understanding future threats and considering ways to shape the business to cope with them. While there, I led an agenda at the highest level to build actions around sustainable mobility for BP in China.

It was brilliant to see how BP takes an innovative approach and moves earlier than its competitors. There was no routine or set structure – you have to decide where you go and how to move forward.

Now I am in the gas and power part of the business, which is very dynamic. I am a commercial adviser, working in the gas planning team and the commercial team of liquefied natural gas (LNG). It’s still early days, but I believe it will be a good development role for me.

Highlights

One of the most valuable benefits of the Helios programme is the confidence it gives me. I have been provided with opportunities, not only to do what I am really good at, but also to try different things. It has helped me to understand my own capabilities and to stretch myself. As a Helios fellow, people do want to help you and they want to see you win. You’re given the chance to test yourself, with support – because people want you to achieve more and succeed.

Challenges

One day, I hope to return to China in a substantive role in BP. I want to develop and make myself ready quickly so I can go whenever the right opportunity comes along – maybe in a few years’ time.