Entrepreneurship,Female Leadership,Technology
In 2005, Zhang Hui was 30, feeling lost but eager for new challenges. Her journey out of uncertainty began with 14 months at CKGSB, where she earned a hard-won MBA that would shape her future. Initially drawn to venture capital and education, she soon realized her true calling lay in communications, leveraging her family’s entrepreneurial background and her own experience in telecommunications. This led to the founding of CypressTel, a company built on innovation, resilience, and a global vision.
Zhang Hui hopes her story inspires others to find their own path to success—drawing strength from her experiences, embracing change, and looking back with pride on how far they’ve come.
While based in Shenzhen, Zhang Hui looked beyond China’s borders, viewing Hong Kong’s open telecom market as a vital gateway to the world. She believed in the idea that even competing with industry giants could bring wins—each challenge offering lessons. CKGSB reinforced her courage to connect with international resources, inspired by Dean Xiang’s “looking at the earth from the moon” philosophy. It was this mindset that led her to establish CypressTel in Hong Kong, positioning her company at the crossroads of global innovation.
Zhang Hui understood that to stay ahead in the ICT demanded innovation. She saw the potential of technologies like SD-WAN as they emerged. Investing in 2017, her company was a pioneer, experiencing explosive growth during China’s digital transformation. Today, CypressTel is a global leader in SD-WAN security and multi-cloud management, with more than 10,000 clients—a benchmark Chinese company and international industry player.
Leadership in tech is about more than just the technology. It’s about the team. Zhang Hui emphasizes the importance of aligning talent with company needs. Her CKGSB degree taught her that technical problems tend to be routine. The key to success lies in matching skills to each stage of development. CypressTel’s growth depended on cultivating a resilient workforce that wasn’t afraid of change.
After 17 years, CypressTel stands as a testament to the CKGSB values of “global vision” and “innovation-driven growth.” Zhang Hui’s success story is more than an entrepreneurial achievement—it’s proof that perseverance, strategic thinking, and a global mindset can turn dreams into reality. She credits CKGSB not just for the skills she acquired but for transforming her mindset—ridding her of chaotic thinking, sharpening her vision, and enabling her to become a more confident leader.
Zhang Hui sees her ability to sense and respond quickly to team dynamics as an advantage in managing people. Beyond that, she notes no real difference between male and female entrepreneurs, emphasizing that determination, perseverance, and continuous learning are qualities all leaders must share.
“The entrepreneurial road is full of unknowns,” she says. “True strength lies in resilience and an open mind.”
As the ICT industry evolves—driven by 5G, cloud computing, AI, and big data—CypressTel is preparing for the next decade by advancing digital transformation, network security, and machine learning. She sees innovation as essential to increasing efficiency while safeguarding data privacy, and believes that those who adapt fastest will thrive.
Zhang Hui describes herself as focused and loyal: all traits reinforced by her CKGSB learning experience. The school’s curriculum and professors helped her refine her way of thinking, find confidence, and unlock more potential than she could have imagined. The leadership skills she developed have enabled her to make impactful decisions and build stronger teams.
