Munich, June 3, 2019: windeln.de SE ("windeln.de" or "Group"), one of the leading online retailers of family products in Europe and for customers in China, announces that the Supervisory Board has appointed Charles Z. Yan as an additional member of the Management Board. In his role, Mr. Yan is responsible for windeln.de's strategy and business development in China and will drive the company's continued growth in the attractive Chinese market.
Charles Z. Yan brings extensive experience and expertise from the Chinese market to the group. Prior to joining windeln.de, Mr. Yan spent two years as Chief Executive Officer, Chief Restructuring Officer and Executive Director of Tenwow International Holdings Limited, a Hong Kong Listed Food and Beverage Company. Since 2015, he has been Managing Director of Fosun Fashion Group and the China Momentum Fund, a one billion dollar fund managed by a subsidiary of Fosun International Limited. Charles Z. Yan began his career in 1994 at Unilever (China) Co., Ltd, where he was responsible for the sales and marketing of care products for five years. He then moved to Seagram Company Ltd (now Pernod Ricard Group), where he was responsible for business development in China. From 2005 to 2008, he served as Vice President in the Consumer Investment Banking division of Bear Stearns in New York. He then continued his career from 2008 to 2015 at Macquarie Group Limited, Yuanta Financial Holdings and Standard Chartered Bank in Hong Kong. Charles Z. Yan holds a master's degree in business administration (MBA) from the Darden Graduate School of Business at the University of Virginia, a master's degree in accounting from Pace University's Lubin School of Business, and a bachelor's degree in economics from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SUFE).
Willi Schwerdtle, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, comments on the appointment: "Charles has many years of experience in the successful scaling and development of companies in the Asian market. We are convinced that the inclusion of Charles on the Group's Board of Directors will help drive important projects in the Chinese business in 2019 and in the coming years. “
The Group also plans to expand its presence in Shanghai. In addition to Charles Z. Yan, the team in China is to be expanded in the coming weeks in order to strengthen the local market presence. CEO Matthias Peuckert: "We are currently building up an experienced team in China to further expand our position as a trustworthy German company of high-quality European products for Chinese customers. We are convinced that with Charles and other competent experts in China, we will be able to increase our sales profitably."