Our monthly check-in with staff from around the world. Learn more about the people who work at CHAI.
Jenny Zhang
Title: Regional Senior Associate, Dengue – Greater Mekong Sub-region
Location: Cambodia
Start date: October 1, 2024
Please tell us a bit about your background and what brought you to CHAI.
My name is Jenny and I joined CHAI in October of 2024 as a Regional Senior Associate for the Greater Mekong Sub-region on our new Dengue program, under Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases. I am now based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, but I grew up and spent most of my life in Toronto, Canada. I have a dual degree in medical sciences and business administration. However, my career started in the private consulting sector at McKinsey & Company.
Over my three years as a consultant, I worked primarily with pharmaceutical clients in the US but also across various geographies and topics (e.g., government climate policy, operating model strategy to consumer goods pricing). As I was exploring a career transition—ideally to a different part of the world with a focus on social impact—an exciting opportunity arose to join the Dengue team in the Asia region. I had also heard great things about CHAI from colleagues who had previously worked there, which made the decision even more compelling. Fast forward a few months and here we are!
1. What does a typical day working at CHAI look like for you?
In my role as a regional associate for Dengue, I sit at the intersection between our country and global teams. It involves a good mix of on-the-ground program engagement in our Greater Mekong Sub-region countries and strategic thinking, in collaboration with other CHAI staff around the world. My day can range from sitting with our Cambodia team and Ministry of Heath dengue officers in a National Strategic Dengue Plan workshop in the morning, to supporting data analysis on case burden in Lao PDR in the afternoon, to discussing cost reduction frameworks for new technologies with our Global Markets team in the evening. It offers an interesting perspective into both how CHAI operates but also real-world dynamics within different countries in the region, and no one day is the same!
2. In your experience, what skills are the most crucial to succeeding at CHAI?
Two big ones are probably the ability to take ownership and handle ambiguity. Oftentimes, we are tackling major global health challenges that don’t have clear answers or a rinse-and-repeat approach. There are also a lot of external factors and dynamics that can drastically impact the health landscape at large. CHAI staff, working alongside governments and other stakeholders, navigate the uncertainty by charting a new course, leveraging our experiences, and adapting quickly.
3. What’s a personal goal you want to accomplish in the next year?
To find a sport or activity I can play consistently every week! I’ve had an on-off back injury for a couple of years and it’s been hard to make sure I keep up an active lifestyle. With a lot of recent physiotherapy and strengthening, I’m feeling much better and excited to try maintaining a higher level of fitness. Some current contenders are badminton or golf, so stay tuned.
4. What is a motto you live by?
My mom once told me, ‘It’s always better to have more open doors than closed ones.” When I’m making life and career decisions, it helps me to reground and think about whether I’m giving myself more opportunities to grow and try new things rather than restricting my options.
5. What is your favorite holiday memory?
I have a close group of girlfriends and we often travel together. Two years ago, we did a two-week ‘pseudo’ grad trip (since we graduated during COVID) in Southeast Asia and I have fond memories of hiking to temples, ocean kayaking, and lots of mango sticky rice and pho. Little did we know I’d end up relocating over here with CHAI and now there are even more opportunities to continue our adventures when they visit.
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Chinese hotpot for sure! Ideally spicy 😊 I grew up eating hotpot with my family for almost every major event, so it’s a very special meal to me. My mom’s side of the family is also from Sichuan, which is known as the birthplace of spicy hotpot. Lotus root, konjac noodles, and luncheon meat are a few of my favorite ingredients to throw in.
