The 25th Annual Spencer Lecture

Jim Kralik ’82, a longtime business and investment executive based in Shanghai, traveled to US to share his international perspective with our Upper School community.

Thank you to Jim Kralik ’82 for delivering the 25th Annual Spencer Lecture to students, guests, faculty, and staff at the Upper School. Jim is the Managing Director of Linden Street Capital Limited and Chief Executive Officer of Milestone Capital Strategic Holdings Limited. Based in Shanghai since 2000, Jim has lived and worked in China for more than 35 years.

Though a life and career overseas seems like it would involve some premeditation, it was not so in Jim's case. Instead, he learned to embrace the unexpected opportunities that have shaped his path. Drawing on those experiences, he offered students three lessons for navigating an increasingly connected, yet fragmented, world: stay curious, make an effort to walk in another person’s shoes, and embrace the unexpected.

He recalled one of his early experiences in China, when, as a 20-year-old American traveling on an overnight train to Shanghai, he shared a cabin with two men—one from Hiroshima, Japan, and the other from Nanjing, China. On the surface, the three seemed to have little in common. But over the course of an evening together on a speeding train, they found a connection. The experience reinforced for Jim the value of listening closely, asking questions, and working to understand the world from another person’s perspective.

Those lessons echoed one of Jim’s memories from his days at US. He recalled math teacher Phil Thornton Jr., who challenged students to “keep asking questions until you fully understand”—advice that has stayed with Jim throughout his life.

In honor of the lecture series’ namesake, George Spencer ’69, Jim visited New York City the day before his talk. Although their paths never crossed, Jim shared a photo of George smiling in the sun, along with a photo from the 9/11 Memorial looking toward One World Trade Center. He encouraged students to visit the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, remember those who lost their lives, reflect on the ways our country continues to be shaped by the events of September 11, and approach others with curiosity and openness.

US thanks Jim for his generosity in preparing for and delivering the lecture, for traveling from Shanghai to be with our community, and for answering questions from students and guests at its conclusion.

During his days at the Upper School, Jim was active in Mr. Terry Harmon’s Outdoor Projects and was a member of the swimming and tennis teams. He also sang in the Glee Club, played trumpet in the Jazz Band and Orchestra, and participated in a number of dramas and musicals.

He received his undergraduate degree in economics from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Jim began his career in 1986 at McKinsey & Company, where he worked in both North America and Asia. Subsequently, he started and co-managed a group of media companies operating in Hong Kong and China, selling the businesses in 2001. From 2001–2004, Jim was the CEO of VTech Telecommunications Ltd. and led the company through a dramatic financial turnaround.

In addition to serving on various corporate boards, Jim serves on the Board of Trustees of University School, the Harvard University Global Advisory Council, and the Harvard Business School Board of Dean’s Advisors. Jim and his wife, Yunli Lou, have four adult children.

The George E. Spencer III ’69 Lecture Series honors the life of US alumnus George “Twig” Spencer. It was founded by his family, classmates, and friends to pay tribute to his caring and adventurous spirit while enhancing awareness and knowledge of international relations, tolerance, and understanding.

Twig was at his office in the South Tower of the World Trade Center when the second hijacked plane struck the building on September 11, 2001. As his colleagues began their descent from the 84th floor, above the impact point, Twig told his two friends, “I’ll meet you down there. I just want to make sure the rest of the team is out.” Twig is the only known US alumnus to lose his life in the September 11 attacks.