skip to Main Content

Rita Ren

Associate Director, China
Rita serves as Associate Director, China at Grok, where she provides strategic leadership for the China offices with a focus on cultivating team culture, ensuring operational compliance, and developing Grok's ecosystem through stakeholder engagement. She plays a key role in mentoring staff, supporting client and sales success with local market insights, and fostering an adaptive work environment for both onsite and remote teams. With over 12 years of experience in international education, Rita specializes in building trusted relationships and designing practical solutions in cross-cultural contexts. Prior to joining Grok, she served as Senior International Officer at Queen Mary University of London’s East Asia Office, where she led student recruitment across mainland China, Taiwan, and Mongolia, guiding her team through periods of significant change and digital transformation. Rita holds an MSc in Management, Information Systems and Innovation from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a BEng in E-Commerce Engineering with Law from Queen Mary University of London. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking, spending time with her cat, and traveling with her family.

When did you join Grok?
November 2024

Describe yourself in three words.
Trustworthy, Precise, and Logical

What were you doing before working at Grok?
Prior to joining Grok, I served as Senior International Officer at Queen Mary University of London’s East Asia Office, where I led student recruitment across mainland China, Taiwan, and Mongolia. In this role, I gained extensive experience not only in recruitment but also in entry requirement development, data analysis, team management, agent and partnership management, and digital marketing.

What was your first job (in education or otherwise)?
I started my career in education as a Program Specialist in the International Affairs Department at New Oriental Vision Overseas, where I focused on cultivating and nurturing partnerships with universities across Europe and Asia.

What does international education mean for you?
To me, international education is about opening doors to possibilities. It allows us to help students discover broader horizons, unlock their potential, and shape futures full of opportunity—even beyond our own. There is something truly powerful about empowering others to become a version of themselves they might never have imagined, and that is what inspires me every day.

What is one of the most satisfying professional outcomes you’ve achieved?
One of my most fulfilling professional achievements was mentoring a completely new colleague into a confident, independent professional in our field. When she told me that having me as her guide was ‘a blessing,’ I realized that true success isn’t just about personal accomplishments—it’s about lifting others up, sharing knowledge, and fostering growth. That experience reinforced my belief that building people up is just as important as building outcomes.

What is your favorite book or movie?
A recent favorite of mine is the Hong Kong movie A Guilty Conscience, a sharp and thought-provoking courtroom drama that celebrates integrity, courage, and the pursuit of justice.

What is your dream travel destination? Why?
I’ve always dreamed of visiting Turkey because cats are famously cherished there. As a cat lover myself, I’m excited to wander the streets where furry residents are treated like royalty and see firsthand how a city embraces its feline friends.

What is your favorite food to eat with friends?
My favorite food to enjoy with friends is hotpot—any variety, whether it’s Beijing-style hotpot, Sichuan spicy hotpot, Guizhou sour-soup hotpot, and more.

What is something you’ve learned from somebody inspirational?
“Step by step, persistence turns effort into achievement.” — Confucius

What was your favourite subject at high school or university?
My favorite courses in university were law related (eg. Contract Law, Intellectual Property Law, etc.). I found it fascinating to analyze real-life cases through the lens of different legal systems and approaches, and to see both the similarities and differences in how the same case could be handled.

Back To Top