By James Cabot ’03 and Rebecca Mayer ’02

By 2020, China will be the world’s largest inbound and outbound tourism market, according to the World Tourism Organization. Ctrip, China’s answer to Expedia and Orbitz, is capitalizing on the boom. And Richard “Coley” Dale ’03, Ctrip’s head of business development, is at the center of the company’s strategic evolution. Twenty-six years old and with a stint in consulting and the launch of his own Chinese start-up already under his belt, Dale is daily capitalizing on his decision to expand his Trinity education from economics to the study of the Mandarin language, and then to relocate to Shanghai immediately following his graduation in May 2003. “I knew that living in America during my 20s was simply not an option,” he says.

Dale is one of a growing number of graduates who are forging careers outside the United States, enticed by exciting work opportunities and unusual challenges. 369 alumni are now living abroad. And like many of his peers, Dale is leveraging an aspect of his undergraduate education—his decision to study Mandarin—to jump-start his career. As the College strengthens its engagement with the global community through the launch of innovative course offerings, programs, and global learning sites, the number of graduates drawing on their undergraduate experiences to build dynamic overseas careers only looks set to grow.

In cities such as London, Paris, Beijing, and Hong Kong, where sizable alumni communities exist, graduates are forming alumni clubs, organizing networking activities and re-connecting with professors and students back in Hartford, further broadening and deepening linkages between Trinity and key global cities.

Dale initially taught English in Shanghai, while honing his Mandarin skills. Observed by a senior Accenture executive chatting comfortably in Mandarin in a restaurant, he parlayed the chance encounter into a role with the global consulting firm that took him across East Asia. The hours were long and meetings were frequently in Mandarin. “It was hard,” he confesses. “If I didn’t understand something, it was not repeated in English. So I had to learn Chinese very quickly or face the reality of not knowing what was being discussed.”

Life at Accenture taught Dale something else—about fashion. Realizing that young professionals were frequently priced out of high-quality men’s clothing, he and an American partner launched DressMonkey.com, a bespoke tailoring business, in 2006. Clients in the United States submit their measurements and customize their orders on-line. Production is based in China, and the final products are sold at a fraction of the prices offered by American competitors (and with the unique possibility of specifying a Trinity College Bantam silk blazer lining!). DressMonkey recently dressed the Trinity women’s rowing team, which won gold at the 2008 Henley Royal Regatta and rave reviews on the medals stand for its 26 beautifully cut linen blazers, which the company managed to deliver in five weeks.

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