After working 13 years in China, Glen Loveland has paid tribute to a country he loves in one of the best possible ways.
The cross-cultural manager, who lives in Scottsdale and works for the Thunderbird School of Global Management, has penned a evocative memoir/travelogue drawing on his experience.
"Beijing Bound: A Foreigner Discovers China" details how he navigated Beijing’s complexity.
“Beijing beckoned,” he wrote. “I soon discovered the city is a clashing mosaic of old and new, a capital striving to fuse ancient traditions with modern ambition. At dawn, parks and public squares came alive with people exercising.
“In the city’s hútòng, tangled warrens of grey brick alleyways, one could spy the covered archways of courtyard homes, built centuries ago during the dynastic days of emperors long turned to dust.
“But the hutongs were disappearing, bulldozed away as modernity arose in their place. Across the inner city the ominous character chāi—demolish—was scrawled on walls, spelling the impending erasure of history.”
The year was 2007 and Loveland had landed in time to witness “the collision between China’s ancient cultural operating system and its hypermodern ambitions.”
One of his first requirements was to learn Mandarin.
His first job was at the Australia International Trade Association, where he facilitated trade delegations and forged agreements between Chinese and Australian firms. He then joined Pearson to design corporate training programs for Fortune 500 companies.
His first human resources role was with Disney, onboarding 600-plus expatriates across China, which he describes as a crash course in cross-cultural management. Later, he became the first foreigner hired in the human resources department of state broadcaster China Global Television Network, where he oversaw expatriate recruitment.
“While China was preparing to host the 2008 Olympics and showcase its technological prowess, I was navigating deeply traditional concepts like guanxi relationships and face-saving protocols,” he said.
“Beijing Bound” isn’t just about cultural mishaps with chopsticks or spicy food. It’s about witnessing how China’s workforce grappled with global integration while maintaining its distinct identity.
The most revealing moments come from the workplace.
“When I saw salaries publicly posted at my company, I recognized fundamental differences in how Chinese and Western societies perceive privacy, hierarchy, and professional boundaries,” he said. “These aren’t mere anecdotes—they’re windows into China’s unique form of state capitalism.”
Loveland said his book is a portrait of a society engaged in this extraordinary balancing act. “In many ways, my journey mirrors China’s own navigation between tradition and transformation,” he said.
As a child, Loveland lived in Tempe and attended elementary school, as his mom worked at Arizona State University. He settled in Scottsdale in 2020 after returning from the bustling Chinese city.
A graduate of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, he is a certified global leadership coach at Thunderbird. The role indicates a professional who has undergone rigorous, specialized training to guide leaders through the complexities of today’s globalized world.
This certification is not just a title—it’s a testament to a deep understanding of human behavior, cultural dynamics, and leadership effectiveness, he said.
The job is uniquely positioned to assist leaders from all walks of life, whether they’re Indian engineers navigating career transitions or Saudi executives adapting to global markets. Loveland said his ability to address cultural nuances and behavioral tendencies ensures that professionals can thrive in new roles or environments while staying true to their core identities.
“This is not just coaching – it’s transformation,” he said. “It’s about empowering leaders to bridge divides, embrace diversity, and achieve their full potential in an interconnected world.”
Before moving to China, Loveland served as a press secretary for Congressman Tom Udall of New Mexico.
“Working with Tom through pivotal moments—including 9/11, the Patriot Act debates, and the Hurricane Katrina response—I witnessed that same Udall commitment to principled public service,” he said. “Earlier, my internship with U.S. Senator Pete Domenici taught me the nuts and bolts of policy work.
“Those years in Congress, crafting messages during national crises, shaped my understanding of how communication can bridge divides—skills that would prove invaluable in Beijing,” he recalled.
“Beijing Bound” is a blend of professional grit, cultural collisions, and personal evolution, Loveland said. Ultimately, he calls it a “love-letter” to the city.
He said he wanted to show a different side of the country.
“I’m talking about the Beijing that unfolds in quiet moments: the elderly man at dawn, practicing calligraphy with water on the sidewalk, his characters evaporating like prayers; the fruit seller who, after a year of patient correction, finally taught me to pronounce pineapple [bōluó] without mangling the tones; the secretary who brought me hot ginger tea whenever the pollution turned the sky to soup.
“While tourists sprint through the must-see sites, it’s the everyday grace notes that transform a foreign posting into a love affair,” he said. “Beijing didn’t just tolerate my stumbling attempts to belong—it swept me up in its rhythms, teaching me to find beauty in its contradictions. Like any great love, it changed me.
And like any proper love letter, this book attempts to capture not just the grand gestures but the small kindnesses that made a city of millions feel like home.”
The book is available at amazon.com. Information: glenderful.com.
