David Wang (April 28, 1944 – June 2, 2019)
Trustee of The Western Academy of Beijing Education Foundation, WAB’s Founding Board
David Wang was part of the WAB project from its start in the summer of 1993, helping to make possible the founding of the school just over one year later.
His commitment to WAB was personal. At that time, David was the CEO of GE Medical Systems China, while the initial group envisioning this new school – not even yet bearing its current name of WAB -- were just three individuals. Our school project was a mere twinkle in our eye, a reaction to the critical lack of international school places for the resident international community. We had no corporate backers and no financing yet, but David gave us instant support.
He passionately believed that not only was a good education every child’s right, but also that China’s re-engagement with the outside world required sufficient international schools for the increasing number of children of the foreign staff coming to China to work for the UN, the World Bank, the embassies, and most critically, the foreign companies seeking to do business here. Our intention to establish a not-for-profit international school in Beijing thus resonated deeply with him.
David understood we needed sound financial advice and money, so he seconded a GE finance executive to serve on our pre-board, and in January 1994, when we began raising funds, GE was among the first to donate USD5000 risk pledge and later convert this into the purchase of one child place. With this backing, and that of Royal Dutch Shell Petroleum China and Motorola China, our major presentation to the foreign business and diplomatic community in January 1994 at the East Lake Apartment was successful. By April 1994 we had raised the USD1.1 million required to renovate and fit out the old site and open The Western Academy of Beijing on September 1, 1994.
David was also generous with crucial Chinese government introductions in that start-up year too. At the time we were looking for a site for the school, and one place under consideration was in Yizhuang, a large stretch of land on the southeast side of Beijing designated as a new economic development zone for the city. We were not that keen because, although it had been cleared of farmers, the bulldozers were still leveling the land. There were few roads and no power connections, sewerage, or water provision.
Nevertheless, David arranged a banquet in early December 1993, with the Beijing vice mayor in charge of education, Mr. Hu Zhaoguang, and Mr Wang, head of the Beijing Economic Development Zone in Yizhuang. During the banquet, Vice Mayor Hu said, "If you decide to go for Yizhuang, I shall support you all the way.” To which co-founder Michael Crook replied: “But you WILL support us in any case, won’t you?” The vice mayor agreed and supported WAB in our final choice of site. On September 1, 1994, he was an honored guest at our ribbon cutting ceremony.
In the meantime, David moved to Kuala Lumpur to head up GE’s Malaysian and Singaporean operations. Unfortunately, he missed WAB’s opening, but whenever he was back in Beijing on business, he always made time in his busy schedule to meet up and give advice. In 1997, returning to Beijing as President and CEO of GE China, David agreed to become a trustee of The Western Academy of Beijing Education Foundation.
Sabina Brady, co-founder and project manager of the Middle School building project, recalls when David brought his negotiating skills into play for WAB. In the early 2000s, we were attempting to construct and outfit a brand new Middle School over the three-month summer school break. Burgeoning enrolments and demand required us to open the facility in time for the new school year. At the time, we had stored second-hand modular building pods to be used as the classrooms for the new middle school in an educational establishment just down the road from WAB. Unexpectedly, when we requested to enter the grounds to retrieve them, that school's executive director refused to let us in or to release the pods without a substantial fee in return. David quietly interceded and resolved everything within a matter of days with subtle behind-the-scenes work and judicious targeting of that school's key board members. WAB’s new Middle School opened on time.
Always optimistic and resourceful, David believed life could never be played as a zero-sum game, where winner takes all, but rather we should work to make the pie bigger so that greater numbers may benefit in ever-greater ways. He also took his commitments seriously. Despite a heavy schedule, he seldom missed a board meeting. Co-founder Hilary Munro recalls one instance at the old factory site when David came straight from the airport after a long flight from the United States to attend a board meeting. As usual, he had read all the board materials in advance. At the meeting, as he did at all such meetings, he waited for others’ views to be expressed and the discussions to progress, and then he raised the difficult questions in a thoughtful way with a smile and infectious laugh. In this way, he both lowered contentious feelings while helping the group find the best common path forward. This is the man he was.
David and his wife Darlene attended both the opening of WAB’s Middle School and High School. Darlene said, “It gave us both great pleasure watching WAB become recognized as the school in Beijing where students thrive in a nurturing environment and parents are warmly welcomed.”
David came to WAB’s 10th and 20th Anniversary celebrations. He will be sorely missed at the 25th Anniversary. All of the WAB Community owe him a debt of gratitude.