Bonnie Chan ’08 MBA

Tenacious, courageous, determined — those are just a few words that describe Bonnie H. Chan ’08 MBA and the remarkable journey that has taken her from Hong Kong to the global C-suite. As a leader, Chan grounds herself in self-reflection, lifelong learning and an unwavering belief that there is always a path forward. She is the kind of leader who not only pushes herself to grow but also looks for every opportunity to lift others to their highest potential.

Her time at the Kellogg School of Management played a defining role in shaping that philosophy. It’s where she learned to think more expansively, to approach complex decisions with curiosity and clarity, and to understand the power of a supportive community. The Kellogg community, she says, is also why she remains committed to giving back as a Kellogg Leadership Circle (KLC) donor.

“I look back and feel appreciative for all the people who helped me along the way,” Chan reflects. “I want others to feel that same support and sense of belonging.”

For Chan, belonging isn’t just an outcome — it’s a catalyst that helps people take brave steps, think bigger and lead with confidence. And she knows firsthand that growth often begins with bold choices and a leap into the unknown.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Chan received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. And while she had her choice of job offers at what were then the “Big Six” accounting firms, Chan chose instead to travel to the U.S. to earn her master’s degree in financial accounting and auditing at Austin McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas.

“I think that was a leap of faith,” says Chan. “I was feeling that the world was a much bigger place and I wanted to see it when I was young.”

After earning both her MPA and CPA and moving from Austin to Chicago, Chan began working as an internal audit supervisor at Dean Foods. She was fast-tracked to join a cross-functional team and later took on an expat assignment in the U.K. — both new chances to expand her perspective.

A few years later, Chan returned to Chicago and began working for Sara Lee. With professional experience in mostly finance and accounting, it was at this stage in her career, working at a company known for its consumer-driven branding, Chan realized that she wanted to broaden her expertise. That insight set the stage for the next major step in her career.

And only one school came to mind: Kellogg. In her mid-thirties with two academic degrees and a solid career path, Chan was an ideal candidate for what was then The Manager’s Program at Kellogg (now the Evening & Weekend MBA Program).

“I didn’t want to be boxed in. I wanted to do more,” Chan recalls. “I was surrounded by all these marketing people and thought, ‘well maybe that’s what I need to do — go to Kellogg and learn marketing so I can be more all-rounded to be in general management.’”

Knowing the school’s reputation for marketing expertise and innovation, Chan was pleasantly surprised when her Kellogg experience expanded beyond marketing and deeper into corporate strategy. In fact, Chan ended up with multiple majors: analytical consulting, strategy, and organization and management, in addition to her original major in marketing.

Chan says the insights she gained from Kellogg, along with the experience of leading as a CFO and a COO, continue to shape her approach to growing shareholder value. Today, as chief strategy officer at H+K International — a global equipment manufacturer serving major foodservice brands in more than 100 countries — she navigates a complex, multinational operation that requires both supply chain depth and strategic clarity.

Her current portfolio includes oversight of the CFO and CIO offices, global M&A and service as an executive board director. In tackling high-impact decisions across these areas, Chan often relies on game theory frameworks she first encountered at Kellogg. She credits Professor Emeritus Robert Weber, whom she calls “one of the best in the field,” with helping build that foundation of multidimensional thinking.

Chan also recalls a famous story from a class with Harry Kraemer, clinical professor of leadership, about a silent retreat and the value of self-reflection. She notes that there are obvious benefits of self-reflection: knowing yourself better, improving yourself, and taking note of your blind spots. However, as a leader, Chan sees additional value in pausing for reflection.

“Sometimes when I play back a certain dialogue, I actually realize I missed something,” Chan says. “Self-reflection allows me the opportunity to go back and dig deeper. And sometimes it can change the course of a process or a decision.”

Thinking about the impact of her words and actions is also what motivates Chan to give back to Kellogg. Her commitment is rooted in gratitude for the experiences and people at Kellogg that helped her feel supported at pivotal moments.

After she completed her MBA, staying involved as an alumna in Chicago felt natural. But in 2011, Chan moved to Dallas for a career opportunity and, despite having moved many times before, this transition felt different. After more than a decade in her “adopted city” of Chicago, she worried about losing the network she had worked so hard to build.

Within her second week in Dallas, she attended an event hosted by the Kellogg Alumni Club of Dallas/Fort Worth, where Harry Kraemer was speaking. Chan remembers being impressed not only by the event itself, but by the warmth of the alumni who welcomed her.

“I met a lot of people who made me feel welcome in the new city,” she says. “And some of the people I met that day, they have become my dear friends and still are today.”

That experience solidified for Chan what it means to be a Kellogg alumna — and why she chooses to stay engaged as a KLC donor. “That was such a positive experience that I want other people going to Kellogg to experience as well,” she says. For Chan, giving back is one way to extend that welcome to the next person arriving in a new city, taking on a new challenge or trying to build a new network from scratch.

The instinct to give back also shapes how Chan thinks about the next generation of Kellogg leaders. Her advice, rooted in her lived experience, is simple: “Don’t be afraid,” she says. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to say yes, even though you don’t know everything yet.” The key, she adds, is to say yes and then quickly figure out how to make it happen.

She also urges leaders to challenge themselves to see beyond what is in front of them, to stay curious and not to be overly rigid in setting goals. Rather than fixating on perfect checkpoints, she suggests keeping the goal broader by focusing on who you want to become and trusting that steady progress, day after day, adds up. Above all, her story is a lesson for future leaders to find their network of support. Because the right community doesn’t just shape a career — it empowers the boldest leaps.