Corporate Information
Zhihu Inc. is a leading online content community where people come to find solutions, make decisions, seek inspiration, and have fun. Since the initial launch in 2010, Zhihu has grown into the largest Q&A-inspired online content community in China. Meanwhile, Zhihu is a dual primary listing company on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ZH) and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX: 2390).
We have been dedicated to expanding our content and service offerings to meet the diverse needs of our users, content creators, and business partners. A content-centric business model has been formed during our development and continues to evolve. We have grown from a Q&A community into one of the largest comprehensive online content communities in China. On Zhihu, our users explore and enjoy content that broadens horizons, provides solutions, and resonates with minds, which we refer to as “fulfilling content” (有獲得感的內容). A full spectrum of our comprehensive content appeals to an ever-growing user base and content creators, who have come to Zhihu to share their knowledge, experience, and insights.
The Zhihu model is centered around a virtuous cycle that seeks to achieve a content equilibrium between what our content creators contribute and what our users consume. Our users and content creators actively interact with each other and share knowledge, experience, and insights, forming a content ecosystem spanning a wide range of verticals and topics across diverse content forms. Our deep content and user insights play an essential role in optimizing user experience and maintaining robust community governance, which reinforces our community culture of sincerity, expertise, and respect (認真、專業、友善). Our community culture and strong brand further strengthen our content ecosystem, which attracts and retains more users and content creators to our community. As we continue to enhance user experience and serve our users, content creators, and business partners, we have established diverse and expanding content-centric monetization channels, including marketing services, paid membership and vocational training, etc. This self-reinforcing cycle has been emerging with our growth and solidifying our leaderships.
Below is a summary of our committee structure and membership information.
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Audit Committee
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Compensation Committee
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Nomination Committee
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Corporate Governance Committee
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Yuan Zhou
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Member
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Member
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Hope Ni
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Member
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Chairman
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Chairman
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Member
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Derek Chen
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Member
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Member
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Chairman
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Li-Lan Cheng
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Chairman
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Member
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Member
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Member
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Chairman
Member
Mr. Yuan Zhou is an executive Director and our Founder, and has served as the Chairman of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer of our Company since our inception. Mr. Zhou is a member of each of the Compensation Committee and the Nomination Committee. 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 the Company. 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.
Mr. Dahai Li served as an executive Director from March 2021 and was redesignated to a non-executive Director with effect from June 5, 2024. 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 oversees the technology research and development of our Group. Mr. Li has served as a director of Beijing ModelBest Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. , a portfolio investee of the Company, 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.
Mr. 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 non-executive director of Kuaishou Technology, a company listed on the Stock Exchange with the stock code 1024, since March 2017. He has been a non-executive director of KE Holdings Inc., a company listed on the NYSE (NYSE: BEKE, HKEX stock code: 2423) since December 2018. Mr. Li served as a director of Howbuy Wealth Management Co., Ltd., a company listed on the National Equities Exchange and Quotations with stock code 834418, from December 2013 to August 2022. He served as a director of Fenbi Ltd., a company listed on the Stock Exchange (HKEX stock code: 2469) from December 2020 to March 2023. 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.
Mr. Bing Yu has served as a non-executive Director since March 2023. Mr. Yu joined Kuaishou Technology (HKEX stock code: 1024) in August 2016, and currently serves as senior vice president, head of Research & Development Line as well as chairman of Engineering Technology Committee of Kuaishou group. He is responsible for Kuaishou group’s research and development management, and the overall governance and long-term planning in the engineering technology area. 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.
Ms. Hong Ni, also known as Hope Ni, has served as our independent Director since March 2021 and has been re-designated as an independent non-executive Director since April 2022. She is the chairperson of each of the Compensation Committee and Nomination Committee and a member of each of the Audit Committee and Corporate Governance Committee.Ms. Ni has served as an independent non-executive director of Acotec Scientific Holdings Limited (HKEX stock code: 6669) since August 2021, VISEN Pharmaceuticals (HKEx stock code: 2561) since April 2021, and Digital China Holdings Limited (HKEX stock code: 0861) from September 2010 to June 2024. Ms. Ni has served as an independent director of UCLOUDLINK GROUP INC. (Nasdaq: UCL) since June 2020, and ATA Creativity Global (Nasdaq: AACG) (including its predecessor) since January 2008. Ms. Ni served as a non-executive director of Ingdan, Inc. (formerly known as Cogobuy Group) (HKEX: 0400) from June 2020 to June 2022, and she served as an executive director of Ingdan, Inc. from March 2015 to June 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.
Mr. Derek Chen has served as our independent non-executive Director since April 2022. He is a member of each of the Audit Committee and Nomination Committee and the chairperson of the Corporate Governance Committee. 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.
Dr. Li-Lan Cheng has served as our independent Director since May 2025. He is the chairperson of the Audit Committee and a member of each of the Compensation Committee, Nomination Committee and Corporate Governance Committee. Dr. Cheng has served as an executive director and chief financial officer of E-House (China) Enterprise Holdings Limited (formerly known as Fangyou Information Technology Company Limited) (HKEX stock code: 2048). He served as acting chief financial officer of Leju Holdings Limited (formerly NYSE: LEJU) from 2017 to 2023, and was its executive director from 2014 to 2017. Dr. Cheng served as the chief operating officer of E-House (China) Holdings Limited (formerly NYSE: EJ) from 2012 to 2018 and its chief financial officer from 2006 to 2012. Prior to joining E-House, he served as the chief financial officer of SouFun Holdings Limited, an online real estate service company in China, from 2005 to 2006. From 2002 to 2004, Dr. Cheng served as an executive director and the chief financial officer of SOHO China Limited, a real estate developer in Beijing. Dr. Cheng was an assistant director and the head of the Asian transportation sector investment banking group of ABN AMRO Asia from 1997 to 2002. From 1995 to 1997, Dr. Cheng was a senior analyst at the National Economic Research Associates, Inc., an economic and financial consulting firm in New York. From 1989 to 1991, he was an investment trainee and analyst at the Prudential Investment Corporation, the institutional investment subsidiary of the Prudential Insurance Company of America based in Newark, NJ. Dr. Cheng is an independent director and audit committee chairman of Yunji Inc. (NASDAQ: YJ), a Nasdaq-listed social e-commerce platform in China. He also served as an independent director and on the audit committee of 51job, Inc. (formerly NASDAQ: JOBS), LAIX Inc. (formerly NYSE: LAIX), Country Style Cooking Restaurant Chain Co., Ltd. (formerly NYSE: CCSC), and Le GAGA Holdings Limited (formerly NASDAQ: GAGA). Dr. Cheng received a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Swarthmore College and a Ph.D. degree in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Cheng is a chartered financial analyst (CFA).
