Alumnus Draws from Personal Experience in Endowing Fellowship

Christopher Li, MBA ’90, is keenly aware of the financial challenges that many students face. Originally from Hong Kong, he worked as a government statistician for many years in order to save enough money to fund his graduate education. Even though his job offered to pay for him to go to law school, he had reservations about the stipulation to return to government service in Hong Kong. Additionally, he had his heart set on attending business school at Stanford.

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Constance and Christopher Li, MBA ’90

For Li, getting accepted was just the first step. Palo Alto proved to be much more expensive than he had thought, and — even with a well-paying summer internship in investment banking — Li found himself in need of additional funding to complete his studies. Money was so tight that he had to resist the temptation to even purchase a Haagen Dazs ice cream bar on campus. To finish his degree on time, he was able to get a loan from his girlfriend at the time, Constance, who would later become his wife. “I guess you could say her investment paid off,” recounts Li with humor.

He went on to forge a successful and rewarding career, which he attributes in large part to his time at Stanford GSB. He and his wife now live with their three children in Potomac, Maryland, and he is president and chief investment officer of Lockheed Martin Investment Management, the asset management arm of Lockheed Martin Corporation. Formerly, he was president of Diamond Capital Management Inc. for Dow Chemical following several years with hedge fund Caxton Associates and MetLife Investment Management Company. Li was named Large Corporate Pension Manager of the Year in the Institutional Investor’s 2010 U.S. Investment Management Awards.

The financial challenges presented when he was here are not forgotten. He states, “The experience left me with a deep impression of the difference a few thousand dollars could make for a student in need.” With this in mind, he and Constance decided to establish the Christopher and Constance Li Fellowship Fund to support students at Stanford GSB. “I am delighted to give back to the school. I came to Stanford GSB with only two suitcases and I really believe that Stanford is second to none. I am very grateful for the education I received here,” he says.

He considers it an honor to be able to give back to Stanford GSB. However, Li also recognizes a personal benefit in offering his support. “I’m excited by the opportunity to get to know the students this fund will assist, and to reconnect with Stanford GSB’s unique culture of idea generation.”