Board of Directors

Dr. Yifan Li is our co-founder and has served as our chief executive officer and director since our inception. Prior to co-founding Hesai, Dr. Li served as a principal engineer at Western Digital in Silicon Valley from 2013 to 2014. Dr. Li received his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Tsinghua University in 2009, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2009, and a PhD degree in mechanical engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2013, with his research focused on robotics. Dr. Li’s numerous accolades include being named as Fortune Magazine’s “40 Under 40 in China,” MIT Technology Review’s “2020 Innovators Under 35 of China,” and a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum for the Class of 2021.

Dr. Kai Sun is our co-founder and has served as our chief scientist and director since our inception. Dr. Sun received his bachelor’s degree in thermal energy and power engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2007, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University in 2009, and a PhD degree in mechanical engineering and also a PhD minor degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 2013. Prior to co-founding Hesai, Dr. Sun worked as a research associate at Stanford University in 2014. Dr. Sun’s primary research at Stanford University focused on building ultra-fast and high-sensitivity molecular detection systems with lasers and novel detection technologies. These detection systems operate in extremes conditions for the research of reaction kinetics. Several of Dr. Sun’s papers were selected to IOP Select (Institute of Physics in the UK), Spotlight of OSA (Optical Society of America), and “100 Years of Combustion Kinetics at Argonne.” Dr. Sun also won the Outstanding Paper Award of the journal Measurement Science and Technology in 2013.

Mr. Shaoqing Xiang is our co-founder and has served as our chief technology officer and director since our inception. Prior to co-founding Hesai, Mr. Xiang worked at Apple, Inc. as an iPhone hardware systems integration engineer from 2011 to 2014. Mr. Xiang received his bachelor’s degree in micro-electromechanical systems from Tsinghua University in 2007. Mr. Xiang received a fellowship award and obtained dual master’s degrees in mechanical engineering and electrical engineering from Stanford University in 2009 and 2011, respectively.

Mr. Louis T. Hsieh has served as our global chief financial officer since April 2021 and our director since June 2021. Mr. Hsieh also currently serves as a director at New Oriental Education & Technology Group (NYSE: EDU, HKSE: 09901), or New Oriental, the largest provider of private educational services in China. Mr. Hsieh joined New Oriental in 2005 and served as its chief financial officer from 2005 to 2015 and its president from 2008 to 2016. He also currently serves as an independent director and chairman of the audit committee of JD.com (NASDAQ: JD, HKSE: 09618) since May 2014. He also currently serves as an independent director of YUM China Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: YUMC, HKSE: 09987), the largest restaurant operator in China. From May 2017 to October 2019, Mr. Hsieh served as the global chief financial officer of NIO Inc. (NYSE: NIO), a leading Chinese electric vehicle company. From August 2016 to September 2017, Mr. Hsieh served as an independent director and chairman of the audit committee of Nord Anglia Education Inc. (formerly NASDAQ: NORD, taken private in 2017). From 2007 to 2009, Mr. Hsieh served as an independent director and chairman of the audit committee of Perfect World (formerly NASDAQ: PWRD, taken private in 2015). Prior to that, Mr. Hsieh served as the chief financial officers of ARIO Data Networks, Inc. from 2003 to 2005. Before that, Mr. Hsieh held senior executive positions in private equity and investment banking with UBS Capital (Managing Director and Asia Tech/Media/Telecom Head), JP Morgan (vice president) and Credit Suisse, and served as a corporate and securities law attorney at White & Case LLP. Mr. Hsieh holds a B.S. degree in industrial engineering and engineering management from Stanford University, an M.B.A. degree from The Harvard Business School, and a J.D. degree from the University of California at Berkeley.

Ms. Cailian Yang has served as our vice president of operations and director since November 2017. Ms. Yang joined us in December 2014 as the first employee of Hesai. Prior to joining us, Ms. Yang served as a customer manager in Shanghai Pudong Development Bank from October 2012 to July 2014, and a customer manager in Citibank from September 2014 to December 2014. Ms. Yang received her bachelor’s degree in business English from Yancheng Teachers University in 2012.

Ms. Bonnie Zhang has served as our independent director since February 2023. Ms. Zhang has served as independent none executive director of Swire Pacific Limited (HKSE: 0019), a Hong Kong based international conglomerate with a diversified portfolio of market leading businesses, since June 2022, and independent director of Yatsen Holding Limited (NYSE: YSG), a Chinese beauty company, since November 2020. Ms. Zhang served as an independent director of TuSimple, Inc. (Nasdaq: TSP), an autonomous driving company from September 2020 to May 2022, Ms. Zhang served as independent director of Dada Nexus Limited (Nasdaq: DADA), a local on-demand retail and delivery platform in China, from June 2020 to August 2022. Ms. Zhang has served as the chief financial officer of Sina Corporation (formerly NASDAQ: SINA, taken private in 2021) since March 2015. From March 2014 to March 2015, Ms. Zhang served as the chief financial officer of Weibo Corporation (Nasdaq: WB), a social media platform in China and one of Sina Corporation’s subsidiaries. Before joining Weibo, Ms. Zhang was the chief financial officer of AdChina Ltd., an integrated internet advertising platform in China, from May 2011 to February 2014. Prior to that, Ms. Zhang was an audit partner of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu based in Shanghai, with a focus on serving Chinese companies making initial public offerings in the United States and Chinese companies listed in the United States, from October 2007 to April 2011. Ms. Zhang served as a senior manager in the National Office SEC Services group of Deloitte & Touche, LLP from May 2005 to August 2007, where she was responsible for pre-issuance reviews of securities offering documents and periodic reports to be filed with the SEC with a focus on foreign private issuers. Ms. Zhang received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from McDaniel College. Ms. Zhang is a certified public accountant in the State of Maryland and is a member of the American Institution of Certified Public Accountants.

Dr. Jie Chen has served as our director since February 2023. Dr. Chen is an associate professor at the School of Entrepreneurship and Management of ShanghaiTech University. Prior to ShanghaiTech, she was an assistant professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of National University of Singapore. She received her Ph.D. in economics from Yale University in 2012, M.A. in economics from Yale University in 2006, and B.S. in computer science and economics from Washington University in St. Louis, magna cum laude, in 2003.