Ron Chan Tze Ngon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Chan was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 1999 at ChinaCast's inception. Mr. Chan previously worked as a sales executive in Sun Hung Kai (China) Limited from 1983 to 1985, and from 1985 to 1986 was sales manager for Unisys China Limited. From 1987 to 1988, he was strategic account manager for Unisys Asia Limited, and thereafter joined Unisys Hong Kong Limited as a sales director until 1990. Mr. Chan then joined CL Computer China/Hong Kong Limited as its general manager prior to founding Technology Ventures Holdings, an information technology company currently listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Mr. Chan holds a Master of Science, Mathematics and a Master of Computer Science degree, both from Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
Michael J. Santos, President – International
Mr. Santos has overall responsibility for all international operations including global education and technology partnerships, external communications, fund raising and M&A. He previously worked with Hughes Network Systems from 1988 to 2001, where he was Senior Director, Asia-Pacific, responsible for all sales, marketing, customer support and business development activities in the Asia-Pacific region and was a member of the Hughes deal team that lead the investment in ChinaCast's $17 million Series A venture capital financing round in October 2000. Mr. Santos holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science degree from The George Washington University, in Washington, D.C.
Li Wei, Chief Operating Officer
Prior to joining ChinaCast in 2001, Mr. Li was a business director for China Orient Satellite. From 1987 to 1995, Mr. Li served in the China Liberation Army as an auditor. From 1996 to 1999, Mr. Li was the General Manager of Finance for China Venture Investment Co. Mr. Li holds a Bachelor's degree in Finance and Accounting from the Wuhan Military & Economic College and a Master's degree in Business Administration from the People's University.
Antonio Sena, Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Sena is an Australian Chartered Accountant and ran his own management consulting practice prior to joining ChinaCast in 2004. Before that, he was the Chief Financial Officer of Fujitsu PC Asia Pacific and worked with the Byron Richfield Group in Hong Kong as Finance Director. From 1985 to 1990, he was the General Manager of Imagineering Asia, a large Australian listed IT distributor. Mr. Sena holds a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Sydney (Australia) and a Master of Commerce from the University of New South Wales. He is a fellow of CPA Australia.
Jim Ma, Chief Accounting Officer
Mr. Ma joined the Group in 1999 and is responsible for managing the Company's financial processes, including financial reporting, fund raising, investor relations and other related corporate finance activities of the Group. Mr. Ma previously worked for Cambridge Neural Dynamics Ltd and for Lippo Securities Limited as an associate director working on initial public offers and M&A projects. Mr. Ma holds a M.Phil (Finance) and M.A. (Engineering), both from Cambridge University (UK). He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst.
Xiang Yuan Jiang, Chief Investment Officer
As Chief Investment Officer, Mr. Xiang Yuan Jiang will oversee all aspects of the Company's merger and acquisition strategies, including strategic business development, due diligence, deal negotiations and financing. Mr. Jiang joined ChinaCast in 2001 as Finance Director in the Company's Shanghai office and was promoted to Executive Vice President of Finance in 2005. Mr. Jiang holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade and a Master's in Business Administration degree from Macau University of Science and Technology. From 1993 to 1994, Mr. Jiang completed the International Business Management Program of the University of California at Los Angeles. He also currently serves as a Researcher for the Center of Chinese Business Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai and as an Associate Researcher for the China National High Technology Industrialization Organization.
Donald Gardner, Director of International Academic Affairs
Dr. Donald Gardner, a global education industry veteran, will spearhead the overall development and operations of ChinaCast's international higher education division. This includes cultivating partnerships with international education institutions, developing student and teacher exchange programs and selecting key individuals to build out an effective international team. Prior to joining ChinaCast, Dr. Gardner taught in a number of graduate schools and universities throughout Asia and the United States, including Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary, Asia Graduate Theological Seminary, Malaysian Baptist Theological Seminary, Chung Yuan University, William Jewell College and Dallas Baptist University. He has also served on a number of academic committees and in various administrative roles within the aforementioned schools. Dr. Gardner holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Dallas Baptist University, both Masters and Graduate Specialist Degrees from Southwestern Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and his Doctorate from Midwestern Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri.
Liu Baoqian, Vice President, Education Sales and Marketing
Mr. Liu is responsible for the operation and management of higher education projects, regulatory license applications and the development of new business ventures. He was the General Manager of China Online's (Shenzhen Rayes Group Ltd) Telecom Division prior to joining the Group in 1999. Mr Liu was a lecturer at the Radio Physics Department at the Baoji Art and Science University and has a Master Degree in Wireless Electronics & Physics from Xi'an Electronic Science and Technology University.
