Dong Mingzhu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dong Mingzhu
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| 董明珠 | |
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Dong Mingzhu in 2014
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| Born | August 1954 (age 70–71) |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Occupation | Chairwoman of Gree Electric |
| Title | Chairman of the board of Gree Electric |
| Term | May 2012–present |
| Predecessor | Zhu Jianghong |
| Children | 1 son |
Dong Mingzhu (Chinese: 董明zhu; pinyin: Dǒng Míngzhū) is a famous Chinese businesswoman. She was born in August 1954. She is known for being the Chairwoman and President of Gree Electric. This is a very big company that makes air conditioners and other appliances.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Dong Mingzhu grew up in Nanjing, a city in east China. She was the youngest of seven children in her family. When she was a child, she dreamed of becoming a soldier.
She went to a special school in Wuhu, Anhui. In 1975, she finished her studies with a degree in Statistics. After graduating, Dong Mingzhu worked for 15 years. She had an office job at a government chemistry laboratory in Nanjing.
Becoming a Business Leader
Starting at Gree Electric
In 1990, when Dong Mingzhu was 36, her life changed. She had lost her husband and had a young son. She decided to leave her job and move to Shenzhen in Guangdong province. This area was growing fast. She soon moved to Zhuhai.
She joined a company called Haley, which later became Gree Electric. She started as a salesperson. For four years, she sold air conditioners. She was very good at her job. In one area, she sold a huge amount of products. This caught the attention of the company's first general manager.
Rising Through the Ranks
Dong Mingzhu quickly moved up in the company.
- In 1994, she became the head of sales.
- By 1996, she was the deputy president.
- In 2001, she became the president of Gree Electric.
- By 2012, she was named the Chairwoman of the company.
Under her leadership, Gree Electric grew a lot. The company's stock value increased by a huge amount. Dong Mingzhu became a legend in China's business world.
Gree's Innovations Under Dong Mingzhu
Under Dong Mingzhu, Gree Electric started working on new things.
- They developed solar energy products.
- They entered China's smartphone market.
- They worked on robot technology.
- They built recycled treatment centers across the country.
- In 2016, they bought an electric car company called Yinlong.
In 2019, she helped the company lower taxes on its products. This helped Gree compete better around the world.
Influence and Recognition
Dong Mingzhu is a very influential person. In 2021, Fortune magazine named her the seventh most powerful international woman in the world.
Gree Electric has had great success. In 2023, the company had its best year ever for profits. This success is linked to their focus on new ideas. Gree has many "internationally leading" technologies. Most of these are related to green energy.
Public Life and Views
Dong Mingzhu has also been involved in politics. She was a member of the National People's Congress several times. This is China's top law-making body. She is also part of the China Democratic National Construction Association. She holds important roles in many industry, women's, and charity groups. She has even taught business classes at universities.
She believes in the strength of Chinese talent. In 2023, she mentioned that Gree's research team was made up entirely of local graduates. She felt that Chinese schools were very good at developing skilled people.
Awards and Honors
Dong Mingzhu has received several important awards for her work:
- 2015: She was named the 4th most powerful woman in Asia-Pacific by Fortune magazine.
- 2013: Forbes Asia recognized her as a "Woman in the Mix" for business.
Personal Life
Dong Mingzhu got married after finishing university. Sadly, her husband passed away in 1984 when her son was only two years old. She never remarried. Her son is nicknamed "Dongdong" (Chinese: 东东). Many people see her as one of the toughest businesswomen in China.
In 2018, something funny happened. In Ningbo, a city in China, a facial recognition system mistakenly thought Dong Mingzhu was jaywalking. This was because her face was on an advertisement on the side of a bus!
Published Work
Dong Mingzhu wrote a book called Regretless Pursuit in 2006. This book was so popular that it was even made into a television series. The show was broadcast on China Central Television.
