CEO of Haier

In 1984, Zhang Ruimin (then the deputy manager of the former Qingdao Home Appliance Company), was appointed director of the Qingdao Refrigerator Factory which was initially a small, ailing and collective-system-based factory with a total debt of RMB1,470,000. The factory has since grown to become what is now known as the Haier Group, China's top home appliance brand name. Haier has witnessed a significant prosperity, and gained worldwide recognition over the past 25 years. In 2008, its global business totaled RMB119 billion. In March, 2008, it was ranked among China's Top 10 Global Brands by the Financial Times for the second time.
To improve Haier's management efficiency, Zhang Ruimin combined Chinese traditional culture and western experiences in modern business management. Haier then established the OEC, the market chain management system, the Individual-goal combination, and the operation excellence. Zhang Ruimin's management systems have been widely acknowledged by domestic and overseas management professionals. Haier's business experiences have been introduced into 16 case studies in business mergers, financial management and corporate culture by 7 foreign educational institutes, including Harvard University, University of Southern California, Lausanne Management College, the European Business College and Kobe University. Haier has been recommended to the EU Case Studies by the Lausanne Management College for Haier market chain management programme. As the informationization era comes, Haier starts its reengineering of IT-oriented process, seeking to realize a business type of operational excellence, which is named in the field of business management as "Haier's informationization revolution".
In 1997, Zhang Ruimin acquired the Entrepreneur Award of the Year issued by Asia Weekly. In 1999, he was ranked the 26th among the World 30 Most Respected Business Leaders by the Financial Times. In September, 2002, he was named a Global Business Leader and the Outstanding Donator by the United Way International (UWI), the only entrepreneur in China that has received the same honor. In August, 2004, he was ranked the 6th among Asia's 25 Most Influential Figures in Business by Fortune, foremost among all Chinese entrepreneurs. In November, 2005, he was ranked the 26th of the World's 50 Most Respected Business Leaders by Financial Times, being the only selected Chinese entrepreneur.
Zhang's goal is to gain global recognition for the Haier brand. According to the Euromonitor, among the global white-goods manufacturers, Haier is ranked the 4th in terms of overall sales and the 2nd in terms of brand sales. Haier has for the fourth consecutive time been rated as the No.1 Chinese Mainland Corporation regarding the Comprehensive Leadership in the annual survey of Asia¡¯s top 200 companies by the Wall Street Journal in 2006. Having ascended to among world top brands with an expanding market, it is now imposing a rapidly growing influence over the global market.
Zhang Ruimin and his colleagues have dedicated their wisdom, time and energy into turning a small collectively-owned factory into a successful, globally recognized multinational company. Now they are creating a process system and a business type of operational excellence to further meet the needs of users worldwide and to contribute to China a truly excellent corporate identity in the global market. They can, they will and they are going to keep enriching this identity, and contributing to the prospering of the national industry of China.