Infinite Careers is a collaboration between Career Services (CAPD) and the MIT Alumni Association to explore career paths and the non-linearity of career decision making. Read profiles of alumni with unique career paths, hear their stories and network at a series of talks.
Education
- MIT – Bachelor of Science, 10B – Chemical-Biological Engineering
- University of Wisconsin-Madison – Doctor of Philosophy, Chemical Engineering,
Bio
Yiqun is currently the Strategy & Operations Alliance Lead for the Flagship/Pfizer Alliance at Flagship Pioneering. In this role, she leads a cross-functional team that works across research, innovation, business development, legal, finance, IP, etc. to create and execute on new product ideas that will make an impact on patients.
Prior to her current role, Yiqun co-founded two Flagship Platform companies and led one of them from the concept generation stage through NewCo (Series A) creation and execution.
She spent ~4 years at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, where she led projects in strategy, scenario planning, and due diligence.
What influenced your choice of undergraduate major? How has it shaped your career choices and professional ability?
I wanted to major in an engineering discipline and fell in love with biology. So Chemical/Biological Engineering was the best choice for me, where I was able to combine my interest in the sciences with the practical and translational aspects of an engineering major. Now that I am almost 20 years out of my undergrad, I feel that having a ChemE degree has opened up many doors — there were multiple avenues for career growth that I was able to pursue based on my experience from MIT.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of your career?
Working with really smart people who inspire me to learn more everyday, and who equally want to make a positive impact on patients. One of the most rewarding aspects of my career has been the ability to continually learn and adapt my skillset and role.
What motivates you to do the work that you do?
I had a health scare in my personal life, and it taught me what it’s like to be a patient. There are still so many unsolved/unmanaged diseases that plague patients today, and I believe that through innovation and science we can continue to improve patient outcomes.
Making decisions, especially important-feeling career decisions, is really challenging for people at all stages of their career. What strategies have you used to make career decisions?
I believe it’s really important to talk to a broad range of people, and truly listen to their experiences. I have found that people often make judgements about a job/company/role etc. that they don’t have direct experience in, but infer based on their own experiences. I think stepping outside of your own “bubble” and trying to get a diverse view, especially from people who have direct experience with a particular area can open your eyes and give you new career perspective.
What professional development experiences or opportunities shaped your early career?
I feel that the extracurriculars at MIT were extremely helpful to help me understand at an early point in my career the types of things I was and was not interested in. I think the ability to experiment at MIT without the full commitment was critical to helping me shape my career path. I also think that my consulting career right after PhD was very helpful to shape the entry point into my current career.
Last edited: May 2025
