Asia Society Southern California Gala-- Honoring Anderson Alum Bill Gross, Founder of PIMCO

On May 20, hundreds of people gathered at the Beverly Hilton for the Asia Society Southern California Annual Gala. The purpose of the event is “to enhance dialogue, and generate new ways of thinking in policy, business, education, and culture to foster harmony and understanding between Asia and the United States,” said Donald Tang, Chairman of Asia Society.

This year, the honoree of the Gala is an Anderson alum and founder of PIMCO—Bill Gross. Several Anderson students along with Linda Baldwin and Marcia Shachelford atended to show our support. David Bonderman, a Founding Partner of Texas Pacific Group and its Asian affiliate Newbridge Capital, joined Bill Gross for a discussion of the evolving economic relationship between Asia and the United States. The discussion between the Wall Street gurus was inspiring as they talked not only about the financial markets but also life and success.

For Mr. Gross, happiness is ‘having something to do, someone to love, and something to hope for.’ For student representative Michael Kit Lo (’09), perhaps happiness simply means being there in the same room with Gross and Bonderman. “This is literally the Who’s Who event in the finance world. I feel like it might be the best night of my MBA life,” Michael concluded.
--Jenny Lee