Dato' Dr Teo Tong Kooi
Dato' Dr Teo Tong Kooi was appointed as an Independent Director of the Company on 14 May 2024 and as Chairman of the Board with effect from 23 May 2024.
With a distinguished background in management and leadership, Dato' Dr Teo brings a wealth of experience spanning various industries, including financial services, manufacturing, property development, corporate advisory, and investment management. Over the course of his career, he has held pivotal leadership positions in multinational corporations and conglomerates, demonstrating exceptional leadership acumen and adept management skills. His expertise encompasses the strategic implementation of organic growth initiatives and mergers and acquisitions strategies, consistently driving business performance, transformation, and turnaround management. Notably, he has devoted a significant portion of his career to overseeing operations and businesses in China since 2004.
Since March 2018, Dato' Dr Teo has served as the CEO of DPS Corporate Advisory Company Limited ("DPS"), a financial and management consulting arm of Head International Group, a leading provider of products and services certification in China. DPS offers a comprehensive range of services, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity, post-investment management advisory, restructuring, and turnaround management. Additionally, he holds positions as an Independent Director at UOB Kay Hian Securities (M) Sdn Bhd and China Automotive Systems, Inc.
Prior to these roles, Dato' Dr Teo held the position of Managing Director at Guoco Investment (China) Ltd., Hong Kong, from September 2014 to February 2018. Before that, from July 2012 to August 2014, he served as Group Managing Director at Guocoland (China) Ltd. His extensive career history includes leadership roles such as CEO of WCT Bhd Malaysia, responsible for Vietnam and China Operations, CEO of Hong Leong Asia Ltd, Singapore, Group Managing Director of Tasek Corporation Berhad, Malaysia, COO of Hong Leong Bank Malaysia, and Head of Corporate Banking at Deutsche Bank Malaysia.
Dato' Dr Teo holds a B.Sc. in Marketing Management from Golden Gate University in San Francisco, California, USA, followed by a Master of Business Administration from the same institution. Additionally, he completed the Stanford Executive Programme at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University. Furthering his educational pursuits, he earned a Doctor of Professional Studies in Business, jointly conferred by the National School of Development at Peking University and the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University in New York.
Ms Chen Xiaoling
Ms Chen Xiaoling was appointed as a Non-Independent Non-Executive Director of the Company on 1 December 2021 and was last re-elected on 14 May 2024. She was re-designated as Group Executive Director on 17 July 2024.
Ms Chen has years of healthcare expertise, specialising in M&A and post-merger integration, strategic planning, corporate finance and branding. She was the Senior Associate President and Deputy General Manager of Strategy Department in Immune-Therapy & Stem Cell Business Unit of Nanjing Xinjiekou Department Store Co., Ltd, a Shanghai Stock Exchange-listed company.
Prior to joining Cordlife, Ms Chen was in charge of the domestic and international healthcare business, including stem cell banking, cell immunotherapy, diagnostics, digital healthcare, hospital management as well as eldercare business in Nanjing Xinjiekou. These companies include US-based cell therapy company Dendreon, Israel-based Natali, An Kang Tong, He Kang Healthcare and Shandong Qilu Stemcell Engnieering Co. Ltd. She is also a member of the Board of Supervisors of Shandong Cord Blood Bank and a member of the Board of Directors of Dendreon.
Ms Chen has previously worked on various M&A transactions in China and abroad, including the acquisitions of House of Frasers, Hamleys and Dendreon, in which she was involved in all stages of the transactions, including due diligence, agreement negotiation and post-merger integration. Prior to joining Nanjing Xinjiekou Department Store Co., Ltd, Ms Chen served as the Director of International Affairs Management Centre at Sanpower Group and Project Manager at UK-based Sinobridge.
Ms Chen graduated from University of Bath with a Master's degree. She also has a Bachelor of English Literature and Culture from Southwestern University of Science and Technology.
Mr Zhai Lingyun
Mr Zhai Lingyun was appointed as a Non-Independent Non-Executive Director of the company on 12 December 2019 and last re-elected on 28 April 2023.
Mr Zhai is currently the Chairman of Nanjing Xinjiekou Department Store Co., Ltd. He is also the Chairman of Dendreon Pharmaceuticals LLC, an immunotherapy company based in California, and Shandong Cord Blood Bank, a cord blood stem cell preservation company based in China.
Prior to his current portfolio, Mr Zhai was General Manager of Anhui Branch of Ping An Annuity Insurance Company of China, Ltd for six years. Subsequently, he joined Anhui Xinhua Distribution (Group) Holding Co., Ltd as Deputy General Manager. During his six-year stint overseeing and managing this traditional large-scale state-owned group in culture and media, he reformed the entire management system, revitalised its business and regained its market position.
In his last position in the Group, he served as Vice Chairman and General Manager of Anhui Xinhua Media Co., Ltd., a holding company listed on Shanghai Stock Exchange ("SSE") where the company achieved remarkable gains in market capitalisation under his stewardship.
Mr Zhai holds a Certificate in Economics from Anhui Investment Management Institute. He also obtained his MBA in Financial Management from University of Luton, United Kingdom. In addition, he was accredited as Senior Economist by the Personnel Department of Anhui Province, China and awarded a Certificate of Advanced Management Programme from China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), China.
Mr Yiu Ming Yiu
Mr Yiu Ming Yiu was appointed as a Non-Independent Non-Executive Director of the Company on 1 December 2021, and was last re-elected on 14 May 2024.
Mr Yiu is the Chairman of Everest-Fortune (China) Commercial Factoring Co., Ltd, a company principally engaged in factoring business in Mainland China. He is in charge of over RMB250M in factoring contracts with clients, and he is constantly adjusting the factoring portfolio to ensure a diversified client base. Mr Yiu also identifies key and uprising markets that provide the company's factoring capital with a reasonable risk return. Mr Yiu is also the Vice Chairman of Transglobal Group (International) Limited, which specialises in real estate development as well as the building and operation of toll road assets in Hong Kong and Mainland China.
Mr Yiu has a Master's degree in Business Administration from Peking University Guanghua School of Management, as well as a diploma in Business Information Technology from Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
Mr Chow Wai Leong
Mr Chow Wai Leong was appointed as a Non-Independent Non-Executive Director of the Company on 1 December 2021, and was last re-elected on 14 May 2024.
Mr Chow is a General Manager at Honeywell's Safety and Productivity Solutions. He is currently based in China and leads a global team to develop, manufacture and promote products and software solutions to help improve productivity, workplace safety and asset performance. He has held multiple leadership positions, including software and consultancy sales director and business development director, focusing on the refining and petrochemical industries.
Mr Chow graduated with an honours degree from Nanyang Technological University Singapore with a major in Computer Engineering. He holds an Executive MBA from Peking University Guang Hua School of Management. In addition, he has also completed the Global Leadership Programme at Thunderbird University, Phoenix, Arizona.
Mr Cai Yong
Mr Cai Yong was appointed as an Independent Director of the Company on 14 May 2024.
Mr Cai has a distinguished career in the investment management and technology industries, with a strong background in finance and health technology. Since 2020, he has served as the Chairman and Executive Director of Beijing Shan Shi Investment Management Company. Concurrently, since 2019, he has been the Executive Director of Beijing Leading Unlimited Technology Co., Ltd. and Beijing Happy Agan Health Technology Co., Ltd.
Before these roles, Mr Cai was the Managing Partner at Unicom Kaixing Fund from 2018 to 2020. He also held the position of Fund Manager at China National Nuclear Corporation from 2017 to 2018. Earlier in his career, from 2014 to 2016, he was the Treasury Director, Financing General Manager, and Vice President of Financial Services at Digital China Holdings Limited and Digital China Group Limited.
Mr Cai holds a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from Renmin University of China, a Master's degree from the Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management, and a Doctoral degree from the Department of History at Peking University.
Dr Xu Tianhong
Dr Xu Tianhong was appointed as an Independent Director of the Company on 14 May 2024.
Dr Xu is a distinguished figure in the biotechnology and venture capital sectors, with extensive experience in leadership and strategic roles. Since 2021, he has been the Founder and CEO of Base Therapeutics Group Holding Limited, a biotechnology company focused on innovative gene-editing technologies, including high-fidelity base editor with applications in treating genetic diseases.
In addition to his role at Base Therapeutics, Dr Xu is a Founding Partner at Virtus Inspire Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage technology and healthcare startups since 2015. His previous experience includes a partnership at WI Harper Group and Vangoo Capital. Dr Xu is also a board member of several biotech companies, including Triarm Inc., Tongee Medical Technology Co., Ltd. And Embolx Inc., demonstrating his broad influence and commitment to advancing biotechnological innovations.
Dr Xu holds an M.D. and an M.S. from Fudan University, Shanghai, China, and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Human Genetics from Baylor College of Medicine, Texas, USA, reflecting his strong foundation in medical sciences and genetics.
Mr Gao Xiang
Mr Gao Xiang was appointed as an Independent Director of the Company on 14 November 2024.
Mr Gao, a successful entrepreneur, founded Anhui Taoliwang Technology Company LTD in 2006, which marketed a wide range of consumer products to credit card holders on installment. The company generated an annual revenue of RMB600 million and a net profit of RMB60 million. Mr Gao retired from Taoliwang in 2024 and now serves as a Director of The Ugift Company Limited in Hong Kong and Jingon Enterprise in Singapore.
Mr Gao's extensive experience in corporate management includes successfully converting a money-losing French Malting Company into profitability in five years as its Managing Director. He also has extensive industrial sales and marketing experience, having worked as the sales director for an American manufacturing company in China.
Mr Gao holds an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School Columbia University and a BA degree from Shanghai International Studies University. He also has an EMBA in Corporate Management from Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business and an EMBA in Finance from People's Bank of China School of Finance, Qinghua University.
Mr Sim Sze Kuan
Mr Sim Sze Kuan was appointed as an Independent Director of the Company on 14 November 2024.
With over 30 years in the legal field, Mr Sim has extensive experience in corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and private equity. He is an accomplished lawyer currently in practice with RHT Law Asia LLP in Singapore and Grandall Zimmern Law Firm in Hong Kong.
Early in his career, he was a partner at a leading Singapore law firm, where he provided expert legal counsel across various sectors. Later, Mr Sim served as the Director of Legal at EDB Investments, playing a senior role in Asia's largest life sciences venture capital fund, with a focus on biotech investments.
He subsequently joined an Asian multinational company, where he served as a senior lawyer in the Family Office and as legal counsel for a Hong Kong-listed company, advising the board of directors and managing complex legal and regulatory matters. Additionally, he held the position of legal counsel and Compliance Officer for an SFC-licensed fund management company in Hong Kong, ensuring strict adherence to regulatory standards.
Mr Sim holds an LLB from the London School of Economics and an LLM in Medical Ethics and Law from the University of Hong Kong, enhancing his expertise in the healthcare sector. He is also an active member of the Nanyang Technological University Institutional Review Board, contributing to the ethical oversight of research initiatives.
Dr Wang Xiaorui
Dr Wang Xiaorui was appointed as an Independent Director of the Company on 14 November 2024.
Dr Wang is a recognised leader in the biotechnology sector, with deep expertise in clinical development and regulatory strategy. She served as Vice President at Zensun, a biotechnology company focused on pioneering first-in-class therapies, particularly for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. In this role, Dr Wang managed clinical development, clinical operations, pharmacovigilance, and regulatory strategies across multiple therapeutic areas and different modalities, both in China and the United States. Her leadership was instrumental in advancing the development of first-in-class innovative drugs, leveraging her scientific background, management skills, and strategic thinking.
In addition to her work at Zensun, Dr Wang held key roles as Clinical Program Management Lead at BioNova Pharmaceuticals and SCG Cell Therapy, overseeing clinical-stage programs from the IND to NDA stages. Her strategic oversight contributed significantly to advancing innovative therapies in oncology and other fields.
Dr Wang holds a Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the National University of Singapore, reflecting her strong academic foundation and dedication to advancing medical science.