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“How I got to Hong Kong originally is a story in serendipity, but a great lesson in proactive career management,” said Tracy Doolittle ’93.

Doolittle now works as the Global Head of Market Development for a division of Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, or HSBC, the world’s largest bank by market capital. She oversees all marketing, PR, media, advertising, and other communications and research responsibilities.

The Huntsville, Alabama native first looked into obtaining international exposure shortly after joining Bank of America in 1997. Working in a junior sales position four years out of college, Doolittle often met banking associates from around the world at annual conferences.

“Right then, even though I had traveled outside the US previously, I realized there was a lot bigger world out there than what I had seen so far,” she said, “and I wanted to be a part of it.”

Doolittle told her manager that she wanted to cover a portfolio of more global companies than the primarily domestic ones she had been looking after. A few weeks later her manager told her she could move to Hong Kong or Singapore. Doolittle chose Hong Kong, and within three months she was there.

Over the next ten years Doolittle worked with Bank of America in Hong Kong and in the US. Working internationally, she was exposed to higher-level and more strategic projects. She had full accountability for projects and was responsible for communicating with senior executives with stakes in the project.

“Your name becomes directly tied to senior-level initiatives, which is a good thing,” she said. “Copious career development opportunities - it is up to the individual to make sure the opportunities aren’t wasted.”

With Bank of America focusing less on international strategies, Doolittle’s time in Hong Kong with the bank eventually ended. Although she returned to the home office in the US, she tried to return to Hong Kong. In September 2007 Doolittle decided to leave Bank of America and join HSBC in Hong Kong.

Earlier this year Doolittle assumed the head of market development for another part of HSBC. While her career has progressed as a result of her international exposure, Doolittle says life as an expatriate presents daily challenges, from ordering at a noodle shop to trying to get a repairman to look at a leaky pipe after hours.

The cultural benefits, however, are many.

“Exposure to other countries’ religion, food, mores, and folkways really opens your eyes – particularly to how Americans are really thought of,” she said. “Seeing our behavior from others’ point of view can be a very poignant experience.”

A proud American, Doolittle has always been fond of Hong Kong, which, she says, has “vibrancy and spirit.”

“I was instantly taken with the hustle and bustle of the city and with the sense of purpose that people seemed to exhibit in accomplishing any task, no matter how small,” Doolittle said. “They may just be crossing the street, but they are going to do it with purpose.”

“Hong Kong is an incredibly familial town – particularly for expatriates,” she added. “People look after one another and make sure newcomers are incorporated into a social network. Hong Kong truly is one of the smallest villages you will find. Even though it’s a city of seven million people, you run into friends and acquaintances on the streets when you are just out and about. It is a good feeling; it gives you a sense of belonging.”

While at PC, Doolittle majored in chemistry, a major she admits is “not a strong base for a career in marketing.”

“However,” she said, “what being a chemistry major taught me was perseverance and setting and achieving goals.  And patience when trying to explain something to someone that just isn’t getting what you are trying to explain.”

An Association of Chemistry Students member during her college days, Doolittle volunteered with the Special Olympics and other projects in collaboration with Student Volunteer Services. She was also a member of the Student Union Board and a charter member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority.