21 Facts About Zhang Ruimin

Zhang Ruimin is the chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Haier Group.

Zhang Ruimin transformed Haier from a small, failing collective factory, to an Internet of Things ecosystem brand.

In 1998, Zhang Ruimin spoke at Harvard University, becoming the first Chinese business leader to appear on the Harvard podium.

Zhang Ruimin has received management attention and praise at home and abroad for his continuous management model innovations.

Zhang Ruimin was born on January 5,1949, to a working class family in Qingdao, Shandong; his parents were employed in a local garment factory.

Zhang Ruimin studied at the University of Science and Technology of China where he graduated with a master's degree in business administration.

Zhang Ruimin has studied extensively about western management theories and has taken several courses on the subject.

In 1984, Zhang Ruimin was appointed general manager of the Qingdao Refrigerator Plant, predecessor of Haier Group, a company that was insolvent and going bankrupt.

In 1985, in order to raise employees' awareness about quality and increase their support of the brand-building strategy, Zhang Ruimin took the lead in smashing 76 defective refrigerators.

Early in his tenure as general manager, Zhang Ruimin traveled to Germany to visit the company's German partner, from whom they were purchasing technology and know-how.

Zhang Ruimin quickly realized that the company had a serious problem in terms of reputation and quality; it reflected poorly upon his country.

Zhang Ruimin instituted many reforms that were completely novel to the state-run Chinese economy at the time.

Zhang Ruimin instituted a practice whereby a mistake by an employee would require that employee to stand before his co-workers to explain his error.

In December 1991, Zhang Ruimin established Haier Group and became its president.

The turnaround story later inspired a case study of The Haier Culture of Reviving Stunned Fish at the Harvard Business School, and Zhang Ruimin was invited to Harvard to speak as the first Chinese business leader at the Harvard podium.

In 1999, Zhang Ruimin became Chairman of the Board of Haier Group.

Zhang Ruimin began a concerted effort to expand Haier's presence abroad, beginning in Europe, where Haier already had connections thanks to its partnership with Liebherr.

In May 2000, Zhang Ruimin attended the 30th World Economic Forum.

On 26 December 2012, Haier's 28th anniversary, Zhang Ruimin announced that Haier had entered a new strategy stage with a networking theme.

In October 2019, Zhang Ruimin was honored with the Forbes China Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 2002, Zhang Ruimin became a member of the 16th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.