Los Angeles Man Earns Place in Finals for China TV's 'Apprentice'

Los Angeles Man Earns Place in Finals for China TV's 'Apprentice'

BEIJING, Aug. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Yao Zhao, a Los Angeles consultant to the direct-response marketing industry, has earned a 1 in 10,000 opportunity to enter the prestigious finals of China's new, "Apprentice"-like TV program.

Zhao, 36, was selected as 1 of 12 finalists for "Win In China" during a national broadcast over CCTV2 from Beijing scheduled for August 29. He was chosen from a pool of 120,000 applicants from China and the United States, after weeks of participating in business simulations, taking tests, and defending his business plan for a direct-response service company in China.

With the goal of encouraging entrepreneurs in China, "Win In China" is promoted nationally. It will provide seed money to the top five finalists, including 1.25 million U.S. investment dollars for the winner.

Zhao came to the United States in 1995 and earned an MBA degree at the University of Wyoming College of Business, which also gave him a coveted "Entrepreneurial Spirit Award." Subsequently, he became a management consultant in Los Angeles, helping direct-response marketing companies.

"These companies, many advertising on television, rely heavily on data processing, handling as many as 20,000 orders a week. I got exposed to this industry and how to do the job," said Zhao.

This led to planning a company, China DR Solutions (chinadrsolutions.com), and 20 trips to China to scout out business possibilities, during which he learned about "Win In China."

"I registered on line," said Zhao. "There were 120,000 applicants, and I was picked one of 3,000. On June 3, I went to San Francisco for a 15-minute teleconference with China. Two days later I was picked as one of 108 to go to Beijing." At that point, there were five other U.S. residents in competition, but today Zhao is the only one still standing.

Simulation games and tests reduced the pool to 36, and defending business plans before a panel of Chinese business leaders further reduced it to finalists. Zhao was videotaped successfully defending his plan. This session is scheduled to air August 29. Contestants will be eliminated one by one in CCTV2 broadcasts in coming months, with the winner revealed in a two-hour program December 5.

Source: Yao Zhao

CONTACT: Yao Zhao's email, yzhao.la@gmail.com , +1-310-878-9888, or
Chinese cell phone, (011-86) 1366-121-1798

Web site: http://chinadrsolutions.com/

-------
Profile: intent