Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Yuan Zhou is our founder and has served as the chairman of our board of directors and chief executive officer since our inception. Mr. Zhou is an entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in internet and media. Since January 2024, Mr. Zhou has served as a director of Beijing ModelBest Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., a portfolio investee of ours. Prior to founding our company, Mr. Zhou founded Beijing Nuobote Informational Technology Co., Ltd., a start-up company that focused on the development of big data analytics for e-commerce businesses from October 2008 to November 2010. Before that, Mr. Zhou worked as a journalist for the IT Management World magazine from June 2006 to December 2007. Mr. Zhou received a bachelor’s degree in computer science and technology from Chengdu University of Technology in China in June 2003 and a master’s degree in software engineering from Southeast University in China in March 2006.
Non-executive Director
Dahai Li has served as our director since March 2021. Mr. Li served as our chief technology officer from May 2018 to June 2024, and as our senior vice president from December 2015 to April 2018. Mr. Li has served as a director of Beijing ModelBest Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. since March 2023, and as its chief executive officer since June 2023. Prior to joining us, Mr. Li served in several positions, including the head of search technology at Wandoujia, a leading app store in China, from August 2013 to December 2015. Prior to that, Mr. Li served as the engineering director at YunYun, a start-up search engine company in China, from August 2010 to August 2013. From June 2007 to September 2010, Mr. Li served as an engineer at Google China, focusing on search engine. Mr. Li received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and applied mathematics from Beijing University of Chemical Technology in China in July 2003 and a master’s degree in mathematics from Peking University in July 2006.
Non-executive Director
Zhaohui Li has served as our director since September 2015. Mr. Li joined Tencent in 2011 and has worked there as the vice president and head of mergers and acquisitions department, and as the managing partner of Tencent Investment. Before joining Tencent, Mr. Li served as an investment principal at Bertelsmann Asia Investment from September 2008 to May 2010. Prior to that, Mr. Li held various positions related to product and business in Google and Nokia. Mr. Li also holds directorships at various other public companies. Mr. Li has been a director of Kuaishou Technology (HKEX: 1024) since March 2017 and KE Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BEKE, HKEX: 2423) since December 2018. Mr. Li received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Peking University in July 1998 and an MBA degree from Duke University Fuqua School of Business in May 2004.
Non-executive Director
Bing Yu has served as our director since March 2023. Mr. Yu joined Kuaishou Technology (HKEX: 1024) in August 2016 and currently serves as a senior vice president, primarily responsible for technology development, product testing, operation maintenance, and ToB business relating to StreamLake of the Kuaishou group. Before joining the Kuaishou group, Mr. Yu led video and infrastructure teams in multinational companies such as Hulu, LLC from September 2014 to August 2016 and FreeWheel Media Inc. from July 2010 to April 2013. Mr. Yu received his bachelor’s degree in engineering mechanics from Tsinghua University in Beijing, China in June 2002 and a master’s degree in software engineering from Tsinghua University in June 2006.
Independent non-executive Director
Hanhui Sam Sun has served as our independent director since March 2021. Mr. Sun has served as an independent director and chairman of the audit committee of iQIYI Inc. (Nasdaq: IQ) since March 2018, an independent director and chairman of the audit committee of Yiren Digital Ltd. (NYSE: YRD) since December 2015, and an independent non-executive director of YSB Inc. (HK: 9885) since June 2023. From January 2010 to September 2015, Mr. Sun assumed various positions at Qunar Cayman Islands Limited, a mobile and online travel platform then listed on Nasdaq (former Nasdaq ticker: QUNR), including serving as Qunar’s president from May 2015 to September 2015 and its chief financial officer from January 2010 to April 2015. Prior to joining Qunar, Mr. Sun was the chief financial officer of KongZhong Corporation, an online game developer and operator then listed on Nasdaq (former Nasdaq ticker: KZ), from February 2007 to February 2009. Mr. Sun was also an independent director and audit committee member of KongZhong Corporation from July 2005 through January 2007. Prior to that, Mr. Sun successively worked in KPMG, Microsoft China R&D Group, Maersk China Co. Ltd. and SouFun.com. Mr. Sun received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Beijing Institute of Technology in July 1993. He was qualified as a Certified Public Accountant in China in April 1998.
Independent non-executive Director
Hope Ni has served as our independent director since March 2021. Ms. Ni has served as an independent non-executive director of Acotec Scientific Holdings Limited (HKEX: 6669) since August 2021. Ms. Ni currently serves as an independent director of Digital China Holdings Limited (HKEX: 0861), UCLOUDLINK GROUP INC. (Nasdaq: UCL), and ATA Creativity Global (Nasdaq: AACG). From June 2020 to June 2022, she served as a non-executive director of Ingdan, Inc. (HKEX: 0400), previously known as Cogobuy Group, and prior to that, she served as an executive director of Ingdan, Inc. from 2015 to 2020. Prior to that, Ms. Ni served as a practicing attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP from 1998 to 2004 in New York and Hong Kong. Earlier in her career, Ms. Ni worked at Merrill Lynch’s investment banking division in New York. Ms. Ni accumulated extensive corporate governance knowledge and experience through her senior management roles and directorships described above. Ms. Ni received a J.D. degree from University of Pennsylvania Law School in May 1998 and a bachelor’s degree in applied economics and business management from Cornell University in May 1994.
Independent non-executive Director
Derek Chen has served as our independent director since April 2022. Mr. Chen has significant experience in the private equity and fintech industries. He was a partner of TPG Capital (Beijing) Limited from September 2013 to 2019 and was responsible for Growth Equity investments in China. Prior to joining TPG Capital (Beijing) Limited, Mr. Chen worked at SAIF (Beijing) Advisors Ltd. from March 2004 with a focus on private equity and capital market investments, and he was a principal of the firm when he left in September 2009. He was a non-executive director of VCREDIT Holdings Limited (HKEX stock code: 2003) from March 2018 to October 2019, and has been re-appointed as an independent non-executive director since December 2021. Mr. Chen accumulated extensive corporate governance knowledge and experience through his senior management roles and directorships described above. Mr. Chen received a master’s degree in business administration from Columbia Business School in 2001.