胡向宇 博士

Xiangyu (David) Hu is currently Acting Associate Dean for Executive Education and Enterprise and Assistant Professor of Practice at the International Business School Suzhou (IBSS), Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU). He is dedicated to deepening the integration of IBSS’s executive education with industry needs, advancing the practicalisation of business education, and building a high-quality industry-oriented platform that links academic research with corporate practice, thereby providing intellectual support and talent empowerment for enterprise and regional economic development.

With over 20 years of experience in strategic sourcing, organisational transformation, enterprise management and higher education, David is a key promoter of industry-education integration at IBSS. Since joining XJTLU in May 2023 as an Assistant Professor of Practice, he has driven significant progress in the development of intelligent operations management (IOM) and practice-based talent development, and assumed the role of Acting Associate Dean in January 2026 to lead the School’s executive education and enterprise engagement work. As an academic staff member member, he delivers core IOM courses with teaching quality scores above the University average,, has been recognised as a top-performing lecturer in Executive Education programmes, and serves as the IOM Department Exam Officer. He also leads practice-based teaching activities, connecting classroom learning with  industry practice by introducing employment and internship opportunities, bringing in industry mentors, and organising industry events for students. Prior to joining XJTLU, he held key management positions in multinationals and high-tech enterprises including IBM, Laerdal Medical and Shenzhen Multiplus Machinery, gaining industry a global perspective, and forming a unique philosophy combining academic rigour with practical industry insight.

David has a solid interdisciplinary academic background: he holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, a Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Wuhan University of Technology, and a Master of Applied Science in Operations Research from the University of Waterloo, Canada. This foundation underpins his practice and research in supply chain management and operations management. In research, he focuses on industry-oriented applied research: as co-Investigator, he participates a product cost prediction project for Nexteer Automotive, has secured TDF funding for research into improving dissertation supervision and efficiency through AI, and actively promotes the application of AI tools in teaching and research to support IBSS’s AI initiatives. He is also a member of the Procurement and Supply Chain Expert Committee of the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing, with professional qualifications including Six-Sigma Green Belt and ISO 13485/9001 Auditor Certification.

David brings extensive experience in global enterprise management and international supply chain operations. At IBM, he served as Global Interconnect/Mechanical Sourcing Council Chair, managing an annual global soend of $1 billion USD, delivering significant cost reductions and supply chain optimisation, and mentoring over 30 sourcing directors and managers. At Laerdal Medical, he led the global sourcing team  in supporting the on-schedule release of 21 new products and meeting all annual cost-saving and supplier service targets. At Shenzhen Multiplus Machinery, he cut supply chain costs by 18% and delivery lead times by 45%, and built the MES business unit, which generated annual revenue of RMB 4.5 million. He also served as an external trainer for Huawei, China Telecom and Omron, and a senior internal lecturer at IBM, earning a strong reputation in procurement and supply chain management.