Top 10 CEOs in APAC

Business Chief takes a look at the CEOs of the region’s 10 companies with the highest revenue

WRITTEN BY HARRY MENEAR

10 Takahiro Hachigo

HONDA MOTOR CO.

Takahiro Hachigo started his career at Japanese vehicle manufacturer Honda Motor in 1982 as a chassis engineer, where he led the team that developed the 1999 Honda Odyssey minivan - the company’s first foray into that market. He became the company’s CEO in 2015. Reportedly, Hachigo’s hobbies include building model trains and collecting miniature cars. He previously drove a Honda Odyssey, although when asked if he would consider changing cars after being promoted to CEO, he said he was considering a Type-R Honda Civic.

09 Guiping Liu

CHINA CONSTRUCTION BANK

The newest hire on the list, Liu Guiping took over from the previous head of China Construction Bank (CCB) in July of last year. Previously, the 53 year-old rural banking veteran served as the vicemayor of Chonquing. Liu has a PhD in Economics from the Finance Department of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, from which he graduated in 2002. As the President of the second-largest bank in China, Liu has grown CCB’s profits by more than $1bn, while also bringing revenues to an all-time high.

08 Ma Mingzhe

PING AN INSURANCE GROUP

The president of China’s largest insurer, Ma Mingzhe, has been a vital driving force behind its success. He has worked in the insurance sector for his whole career, first serving as a deputy general manager of the Social Insurance segment of China Merchants Group before joining China’s Ping An Insurance Corporation in 1988. Ma was behind the decision to open up Ping An to investment by foreign conglomerates such as Morgan Stanley and HSBC, a move which reportedly brought the company out from under the thumb of China’s financial establishment.

07 Young Liu

FOXCONN

Foxconn’s (also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry) latest chairman, Young Liu replaced billionaire founder Terry Gou in July of 2019, when he left to run for president of Taiwan. Prior to his promotion, Liu headed up the company’s chips and semiconductor division. Liu has a degree in electrical physics from Taiwan’s National Chiao Tung University and a doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California. In his first year as chairman, Young Liu has seen Foxconn’s revenues increase by approximately $24bn.

06 Gu Shu

ICBC

At the tender age of 52, the President of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), Gu Shu, is one of the youngest on the list. This fact is even more impressive when you consider the fact that, as head of the second largest investment bank in the world, Gu oversees more than $4trn in assets and almost half a million employees. Gu obtained a Doctorate degree in Economics from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and is a celebrated accountant.

05 Yu Tao

CSCEC

The President and CEO of China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), Yu Tao has more than two decades’ experience in the management of corporate affairs and construction projects. Under his leadership, CSCEC has become one of the largest international construction companies in the Middle East, with a diversified business model that provides clients with comprehensive construction solutions. “As a good friend and partner of China, Saudi Arabia makes a series of positive policies to attract Chinese companies,” said Yu.

04 Hyun Suk Kim

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS

Korean electronics giant Samsung has a relatively unorthodox managerial structure, with a total of three Chief Executive Officers. Hyun Suk Kim, head of the company’s consumer electronics business, rose to the joint position in 2018, alongside Dong Jin Koh and Ki Nam Kim. At the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Kim noted that consumers increasingly value experiences over products: “We’re not looking to spend our money on things. We are looking to buy convenience, peace of mind and enjoyment.”

03 Akio Toyoda

TOYOTA MOTOR

The great-grandson of the father of Japan’s industrial revolution, Akio Toyoda has served as the President and CEO of the Toyota Motor Corporation since 2009. Born in 1956, Toyoda received his master’s in business administration from Babson College in the US, before coming to work at Toyota in 1984. In keeping with the Japanese tradition of keeping CEO salaries relatively low, Toyoda’s salary in 2018 only amounted to $3.5mn - which made him the second-highest-paid employee of the company, after its Chief Competitive Officer, Frenchman Didier Leroy.

02 Wang Yilin

PETROCHINA

With over 35 years’ experience in theChinese oil and gas industry, WangYilin has served as the Chairman of theChinese National Petroleum Corporation(PetroChina) since 2011. He is also anactive member of the Chinese CommunistParty. PetroChina, which is the world’sthird-largest oil conglomerate, is experiencinga return to profitability after fallingfrom more than $21.1bn in net earningsin 2014 to $1.2bn in 2017. Under Wang’sdirection, profits rose steadily again lastyear, back to $8bn.

01 Zhang Yuzhou

SINOPEC

The world’s biggest oil and refiningcompany, Sinopec, is undergoing aseismic change, alongside the entireChinese energy sector. The formerchairman of coal mining giant ChinaShenhua Energy Co Zhang Yuzhuo willreportedly be taking on the top roleat Sinopec in the coming year. Zhanggraduated from Shandong Universityof Science and Technology in 1982 witha bachelor’s degree, received his master’sdegree from China Coal ResearchInstitute in 1985 and earned a PhD fromUniversity of Science and Technologyof Beijing in 1989.