Joseph Sun ’96 MBA breathes purple. “Kellogg and Northwestern have been ingrained deeply into me and my family,” he says. “As my kids were growing up, they saw a lot of purple.” Today, most of his wardrobe is purple.
The Kellogg bug never left. Sun’s father was familiar with Northwestern’s reputation and knew the 7,000-mile journey from Taipei would put Joe in a place to thrive.
Sun’s parents took out a loan to fund his Kellogg education, even though he’d received a full scholarship from another institution.
Sun soon learned that his professors were going to demand a lot of him. “One of my most memorable classes was investment banking,” he says. “Our professor was John Robertson, a former marine officer. He actually called me out for not participating enough in class.” Sun says that moment prompted him to adjust his focus, and it changed his trajectory.
Sun is determined to give back for every bit of advice and guidance he’s received. After working at UBS Asia and Kingdon Capital and acting as head of Asian TMT Investments at Och-Ziff Capital — the largest hedge fund group in the world at the time — Sun founded Solaris Capital Advisors, a Hong Kong-based independent investment boutique. At every step, he’s found a way to dedicate time to Northwestern’s alumni community.
“Joe is without a doubt the biggest cheerleader for both Kellogg and Northwestern here in Taiwan,” says John Wang ’96 MBA, Sun’s roommate at Kellogg. Sun was the inaugural president of the Kellogg Club of Taiwan and is now president of the Northwestern University Alumni Club of Taiwan and director of Northwestern’s Alumni Admission Council.
By spreading awareness of Northwestern to students and businesspeople throughout Asia and around the world, Sun continues to make an impact larger than most.
Once I became established in my career, I started to realize how important it was to give back. As an investor, I strongly believe that the greatest return you could generate is to invest in the future of the next generation.
— Joseph Sun ’96 MBA
He’s worked with the Northwestern Global Philanthropic Advisory Committee, Deering Library Society, Kellogg Executive Board for Asia and more. In 2022, the Northwestern Alumni Association honored Sun with the President’s Award, which recognized his service to Northwestern and its many alumni. This year, Sun was honored with the Wade Fetzer Award, which recognizes outstanding dedication and loyalty in support of the Kellogg alumni community.
“When you make a gift of a flower to someone, the fragrance actually stays within your palm,” says Sun, wafting a floral aroma toward his nose. “And when you smell it, you feel good for several days. The more you give, the more you receive.”
A recent full-circle moment brought that notion to life. As Sun evolved from mentee to mentor, he dedicated even more time to his alma mater, and to building networks that encourage young alumni moving forward. Recently, one of his protégés became a mentor to Sun’s daughter Izzy, who graduated from Kellogg this year.
Making an impact in the lives of others doesn’t have to be arduous, he says.
“Once I became established in my career, I started to realize how important it was to give back. As an investor, I strongly believe that the greatest return you could generate is through investing in human capital — that is, to invest in the future of the next generation. If you haven’t begun giving back to Kellogg, it’s never too late to start.”