Zhang Kangyang

Zhang Kangyang or Steven Zhang (Chinese: 张康阳; born 21 December 1991) is a Chinese businessman and chairman of the Italian football club Inter Milan.[3]

In this Chinese name, the family name is Zhang.
Steven Zhang
Born
张康阳

(1991-12-21) 21 December 1991[1]
Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
NationalityChina
Alma materWharton School of the University of Pennsylvania[2]
OccupationBusinessman
Known forChairman of Inter Milan[2]
Board member ofInter Milan (chairman)
Suning Real Estate (minor shareholder)
Parent(s)
Zhang Kangyang
Simplified Chinese张康阳
Traditional Chinese張康陽

Biography

Zhang is the son of Chinese billionaire Zhang Jindong, founder and chairman of the Suning Holdings Group,[4] which started from a specialty retail store in China on 26 December 1990 and quickly transformed into a leading national chain. Today, Suning operates across diversified industries: Suning.com (Retail), Logistics, Financial Services, Technology, Real Estate, Sports, Media & Entertainment, and Investment.

Steven Zhang is one of the most influential young business leaders in China and has featured in Fortune China magazine's "40 Under 40" list for the last two consecutive years.[5]

As the President of Suning International, Steven Zhang has the ultimate responsibility for spearheading the business's international expansion and future ambitions. Suning International is part of Suning Holdings Group – the commercial giant ranked second among the top 500 non-state owned enterprises in China with annual revenues of RMB 665,26 billion (approximately USD 97 billion)[6] and the owners of Suning.com, a smart retail subsidiary currently ranked China's most valuable retail brand and listed on the Fortune Global 500 List of the world’s largest companies for three successive years, with a total brand value of RMB 269.198 billion and an operating income in excess of USD 39 billion .[7] [8]

In October 2018, Steven Zhang became the youngest ever chairman of Football Club Internazionale Milano S.p.A., known as Inter Milan (or simply Inter).[9] Having been instrumental in Suning Holdings Group's acquisition of Inter in 2016, he then held a position on the Board and took over the management of operations for the club.[10]

In 2019, Inter's enterprise value rose over 41% to EUR 692 million, the highest growth of any club in Europe. Inter is also ranked in the Top 10 for Club Stadia (Venue Performance).[11]

Since March 2018 Steven Zhang has been on the UEFA Club Competitions Committee and is the only member from Asia. In September 2019, he was nominated as a member of the European Club Association (ECA) Executive Board,[12] the body established in 2008 and recognised by UEFA and FIFA, representing the interests of professional association football clubs in Europe. He is the first Chinese representative among 24 members of the Board.[13]

Steven Zhang has run Suning International since 2016 and opened the office in Milan in the first half of 2018, which was seen as a catalyst for Suning International's European growth. In this time, cooperation agreements have been signed with Italian trade institutions, brands and enterprises, including a strategic partnership with the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) signed during the China-Italy state visit in March 2019. Beyond Europe, Suning has an established global network covering Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, Japan and the US. Under Mr. Steven Zhang’s guidance and expertise, the business forecasts that approximately 30% of its revenue will come from international business by 2020.[14]

In 2020, Suning.com is expected to launch the first ever Suning International high-end smart store in Shanghai, designed to be a fashion centre that gathers overseas niche, luxury brands from Europe, Japan and South Korea.[15]

Suning International has also announced plans to open 150 new experiential stores in the next three years, designed to provide a gateway for Chinese consumers to access and be inspired by different lifestyle around the globe.[16]

in February 2020, Inter Milan is suing MLS for trademark infringement, claiming that the term "Inter" is synonymous with its club and no one else.[17]

In April 2020, Zhang put out insulting words on his Instagram "You are probably the biggest and darkest clown I have ever seen." directed at Paolo Dal Pino, the president of Italy's top football league, Serie A, over his handling of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak and now faces disciplinary action.[18]

Education

Steven Zhang enrolled in the Nanjing Foreign Language School before his studies took him to the USA and the prestigious Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania, where he was recognized as a Presidential Scholar and became a cum laude graduate. He went on to become a Dean’s List recipient of The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Steven Zhang specialized in finance and e-commerce and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics.

References
  1. 国米官宣张康阳担任主席 26岁成历史最年轻主席. Sina Tech (in Chinese). 26 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  2. "STEVEN ZHANG NAMED PRESIDENT OF FC INTERNAZIONALE MILANO S.P.A." (Press release). Inter Milan. 26 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  3. "Inter Milan appoint Zhang as club president". ESPN.com. 26 October 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  4. Fumo, Stefania (27 October 2018). "China's Steven Zhang appointed new Inter president - Xinhua English.news.cn". Xinhua. Retrieved 25 February 2020. ... whose billionaire father, Zhang Jindong, owns Suning Holdings Group electronics retailer and is a majority stakeholder of Inter
  5. "Soccer: Steven Zhang is new president of Inter - English". ANSA.it. 26 October 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  6. "Top 10 Chinese private enterprises in 2020". China Daily. 14 September 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  7. "BRIEF-Suning Opens Milan Office In Euro-Expansion Plans". Reuters. 17 April 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  8. "Suning.com è stata inserita nella classifica Fortune Global 500 per il quarto anno consecutivo". Adnkronos (in Italian). 14 August 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  9. Fumo, Stefania (27 October 2018). Written at Rome. Yang Yi (ed.). "China's Steven Zhang appointed new Inter president". Beijing. Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  10. "China's Suning buying majority stake in Inter Milan for $307 million". Reuters. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  11. "Steven Zhang has been nominated as a Member of the ECA Executive Board". FC Internazionale - Inter Milan. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  12. "Inter President Zhang Elected To ECA Board"
  13. "Zhang becomes first Chinese member of ECA board". SportBusiness. 11 September 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  14. Group, Suning Holdings. "China's retail giant Suning signs deals with overseas brands at China's International Import Expo". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  15. "Suning inks new deal with Italian Trade Agency - Chinadaily.com.cn". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  16. Group, Suning Holdings. "Suning International Partnered with Italian Trade Agency, to Provide 'Authentic Italian' for Chinese Consumers". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  17. "MLS, Inter Miami lose key argument in Inter Milan lawsuit"
  18. "You are the biggest clown': Inter Milan chief's coronavirus tirade at Serie A boss"
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