Zhang Yichen (Chair)

Yichen Zhang is the Chairman and CEO of CITIC Capital and the Chairman of Trustar Capital.

Mr. Zhang began his career on Wall Street in 1987 at Greenwich Capital Markets. He later joined Bank of Tokyo as Head of Proprietary Trading, and Merrill Lynch as Managing Director of Debt Capital Markets for Greater China. In 2000.he joined CITIC Group as the President of CITIC Pacific Communications and Executive Director for CITIC Pacific (now CITIC Limited).

Mr. Zhang founded CITIC Capital in 2002 and has been involved in all phases of the firm’s development since then, including the establishment of Trustar Capital as its affiliated private equity business. Under his leadership, CITIC Capital and Trustar Capital have led a number of landmark deals, investing in some of China’s leading companies, including McDonald’s China, Alibaba, Sina, Harbin Pharmaceutical, SF Express, Asialnfo and Focus Media. Through these investments, he currently serves as the Chairman of McDonald’s master franchised business in China & Hong Kong, the Chairman of Harbin Pharmaceutical Group Holding Company, as well as the Chairman of GNC. He also sits on the boards of the Hong Kong Exchange and Vanke.

Mr. Zhang is a leader in the alternative investment industry. He is an Executive Committee member and former chairman of the China Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (CVCA). He is also a vice chairman in Beijing Private Equity Association (BPEA), Tianjin Private Equity Association, and a vice chairman of the PE and Buyout Funds Committee under the Asset Management Association of China (AMAC).

Mr. Zhang is also a leader in political, economic and social communities. He is a member of the Eleventh, Twelfth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth (current) National Committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference(CPPCC), Senior Vice Chairman of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), a member of the Board of Trustees at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a councilmember of Future Forum, and a board member of Aiyou Foundation.

Mr. Zhang obtained his degree in Computer Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. A strong believer in education, Mr. Zhang has been supporting Phillips Academy Andover as a trustee, Yale Asia Development Council as a council member, Dalton Foundation as a board member, Duke Kunshan University as the Chair of the Advisory Board, and the Tianjin Juilliard School as an advisory board member.