Leadership Q&A with Amy Celico, Executive Director of Schwarzman Scholars
This year, Schwarzman Scholars welcomed Amy Celico as its Executive Director. With a distinguished career spanning government, business, and academia, Amy brings a wealth of expertise on China and global affairs to her new role.
Prior to joining Schwarzman Scholars, Amy was a Partner and Co-Lead of the China practice at global advisory firm DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group where she advised corporate and non-profit clients operating in China. She served as Senior Director for China Affairs at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Deputy Director of the Office of the Chinese Economic Area at the U.S. Department of Commerce, head of the Trade Facilitation Office at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, intelligence analyst at the U.S. Department of State, and Vice Consul for economic affairs at the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai. She also worked as Director of Development at the Johns Hopkins-Nanjing University Center for Chinese and American Studies (and is an alumna of the program). Her first job in Washington, DC was as a bilingual assistant to the Executive Director for China at the International Monetary Fund.
Amy recently sat down with us to share her journey, her views on leadership, and what excites her about joining Schwarzman Scholars as it begins its second decade.
Q: Tell us about your background and what drew you to Schwarzman Scholars?
Amy Celico: My background is all China, all the time. I was first exposed to Chinese history as a junior in high school, and that course set me on a lifelong journey of learning about the country. I went on to study modern Chinese history and language as an undergraduate and spent eight years living in China—first teaching English, then pursuing graduate studies, and finally working for the U.S. government. Outside of China, Washington, DC was my home for the past three decades, with China a constant focus of my career in and out of government. Whether I was working as a diplomat, trade negotiator, strategy consultant, intelligence analyst, fundraiser, or business advisor, China’s development has been the focus of every job I’ve had, the most interesting thing I analyze, and the topic of most of the books on my bedside table.
Over the past decade, I’ve watched Schwarzman Scholars grow into an important institution and training ground for leaders who will shape the 21st century. The program promotes the need to understand China’s position in the global economy in order to grapple with almost any issue of international consequence. I have met so many Schwarzman Scholars, including my final hire at DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group—an alumna from Cohort 8. Scholars have impressed me with their global outlook and drive to make an impact on the world around them. When the opportunity to join Schwarzman Scholars arose, I jumped at it. I deeply admire Steve Schwarzman’s vision to create this institution and the opportunity it provides for young leaders from around the world to have an immersive experience learning about China and global affairs, all while honing leadership skills that will serve them for the rest of their lives. I’m thrilled to be a part of this community.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about what makes the Schwarzman Scholars experience unique?
Amy Celico: Schwarzman Scholars’ educational model and academic curriculum give Scholars opportunities to develop as leaders who understand something about China’s place in the world, as well as many of the global issues that define this century. But it’s not just about the classroom; what makes our program truly special is the opportunity for immersive learning—about innovation, financial inclusion, international relations, climate change, economic development and geopolitics.
Our Scholars are based in Beijing, but through our Deep Dive course can explore all corners of China and learn about its government, economy, culture, and history first-hand and then apply those learnings to their study of global affairs topics and their Capstone research projects. We work to infuse leadership training across all elements of the program so these Scholars, selected for their demonstrated leadership potential, can build hard and soft skills as well as knowledge in and out of the classroom.
Q: Over the course of your career, what was your most rewarding role?
Amy Celico: I truly loved serving in the public sector. It’s an experience I’d recommend to anyone. I worked in the Departments of State, Defense, and Commerce, as well as at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and in our embassy in Beijing and consulate in Shanghai.
One of my most rewarding positions was as an Economic Affairs Officer in Shanghai right before China’s 2001 accession to the WTO. It was an extraordinary time. Helping provincial authorities prepare to comply with WTO rules and requirements gave me such interesting insight into China at the subnational level. It was inspiring to witness the curiosity and tenacity that came with working to expand dialogue and people-to-people connection at that moment when China’s economy was integrating into the global system.
Another highlight was accompanying President Carter to observe a village election in Jiangsu Province. Watching him recall details of U.S.-China normalization with local government officials was unforgettable, as was his message that we need to know about and care for one another to achieve true prosperity in our economies and our societies.
Q: Tell us about Schwarzman Scholars and why it is so important at this moment in time?
Amy Celico: Schwarzman Scholars was tailor-made for the complex 21st century landscape. The program equips students to address global challenges, seize global opportunities, and to lead the charge for solutions wherever they go.
This year, we are celebrating Schwarzman Scholar’s 10th anniversary, which makes it a particularly exciting time for me to join the program. Our development as an institution and network of Scholars – over 1,300 from 100 countries – means we have some incredible accomplishments to celebrate. But at the same time, we’re still young and evolving. Thinking about new ways the program can strengthen its foundation and continue to grow in our second decade, staying true to our original mission, animates lots of my thoughts about the future and discussion with Schwarzman Scholars colleagues in Beijing and in New York.
Q: You recently introduced the 10th cohort of Scholars to the leadership curriculum at Schwarzman College. What does leadership mean to you today?
Amy Celico: From my perspective, leadership today must be collaborative. It’s not about going it alone, but about listening, respecting cultural differences, and being willing to embrace change. From my own career, I know that a diversity of experiences helps leaders develop sustainable solutions to complex problems.
What makes Schwarzman Scholars special is its global and cross-cultural approach. My hope is that our graduates will lead by listening, by collaborating, by reflecting, by innovating in partnership with others. I hope their choices will be bold but also respectful of different cultures and perspectives, compassionate and generous with others. The 21st century needs leaders who have been in environments where they’re exposed to new perspectives and where they work across borders and cultural backgrounds to grapple with complex issues, and to drive progress, change, solutions.
Q: What advice would you give young people considering a career related to China or global affairs?
Amy Celico: Stay well-read and stay current. China changes so quickly, as does the world around it, and keeping up requires diligence. I encourage anyone working in global affairs to continue to read, to travel and immerse yourself, and to keep track of how China is evolving. For those with the opportunity to travel to China, as Scholars or later as alumni/ae, maintaining ties to the country will serve them well.
Q: What are some of your favorite books?
Amy Celico: I give credit to Red Star Over China, by Edgar Snow, for starting me on my journey to learn about China. That book gave me a front-row seat, through his reporting, into one important chapter of China’s evolution, and it sparked my desire to study the country more deeply. I think Same Bed, Different Dreams by David M. Lampton, had that same effect on me more than a decade later looking at the evolution of U.S.-China relations. I just finished Breakneck: China’s Quest to Engineer the Future by Dan Wang and enjoyed his take on the incredible innovation on display across China today and some of the public policy issues facing Chinese leaders at this phase of the country’s development.
Q: What kinds of things do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Amy Celico: I’m new to New York and love walking around and exploring the city with my dog, Lucy. I appreciate the incredible cultural and artistic life here.
I also love restoring old houses. It’s fulfilling to bring something back to life—I’ve been doing this for decades, a passion inherited from my very skilled mother.