Dazong Wang, President and CEO of Beijing Automotive Group Corp. (BAIC), is probably the only American citizen running a large state-owned enterprise in China. If China becomes competitive in the world automotive market, Wang’s role and his expertise gained in 21 years as an engineer and executive for General Motors will surely be credited. Wang aims to make the huge BAIC (59,000 employees and 1.5 million vehicles) into a global success, building on its strong commercial vehicle production that leads the world in the volume of trucks, buses and vans sold (almost all in China). In the coming months, BAIC will release its first branded passenger vehicle and is planning mass production of all-electric vehicles in 2011. Since Wang took over the slow-growing BAIC in 2008, he has revived sales, which have grown 2.3 times, and profits, 7 times higher. BAIC under Wang’s leadership has completed such cross-border mergers and acquisitions as the 2009 purchase of key SAAB assets from GM.
Wang grew up during the Cultural Revolution, but in 1977 when universities re-opened, he managed to pass the graduate school exam after only a high school education. With a Masters in Engineering from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, Wang was able to enter Cornell University and in four years earned his doctorate in mechanical and aerospace engineering. In 1985, Wang became a senior research engineer for the GM Research Labs helping develop advanced concept vehicles and computer-operated control systems. Wang’s GM career includes three years as the Country Manager and Chief Engineer for Delphi Energy and Engine Management Systems in China, where he launched three joint venture companies in Hubei, Shanghai and Beijing. Upon his return from China in 1997, Wang became Director of Engineering at GM’s North America Technical Center responsible for vehicle design, analysis, and integration activities. Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC), GM’s Chinese partner in the production of Buicks and Chevys, and China’s largest auto manufacturer, wooed Wang from GM in 2006 to be SAIC Vice President in charge of research and development. During his two years at SAIC, the company entered the market with its own brand of passenger cars.
Wang, whose family continues to live in Michigan, was founding president of the Chinese Association of Greater Detroit (1992) and advisor for the Council for Asian Pacific Americans. He also has been a leader in encouraging exchanges between auto industry professionals in the U.S. and China.
December 2010 | Jane Leung Larson
China is truly fortunate to have a person like Dazong Wang who is the President and CEO of Beijing Automotive Group Corp. (BAIC), and is probably the only American citizen running a large state-owned enterprise in China.Basically China is famous for its automotives and it has developed still more with the support of people like Wang.I heard of services being organised by Wang for chinese students such as scholarshipsetc., to help the students pursuing degree in America.It is because of such great people that China has become the so-called category of Newly Industrialized Countries (NICs).
Posted by: ריהוט משרדי | July 05, 2011 at 08:38 AM
One thing for sure, education is a sure value, every where and at any time. China is one of the biggest leader in almost every field of industry thanks to its educational system.
Posted by: aeronautic schools | July 25, 2012 at 01:53 PM