Canadian Solar makes management and board of directors changes

Canadian Solar has appointed Leslie Li Hsien Chang as an independent director to Canadian Solar’s board of directors.

In addition, and in preparation for the planned carve-out IPO in China of Canadian Solar’s Module and System Solutions subsidiary, CSI Solar, the company appointed Yan Zhuang as president of CSI Solar, stepping down from his role as president and CEO of Canadian Solar.

Zhuang remains as a director on the Canadian Solar board.

Furthermore, Guangchun Zhang is appointed as senior VP, Operations and Technology, of CSI Solar, stepping down from his role as senior VP and chief manufacturing officer of Canadian Solar.

Both appointments are effective September 29, 2020.

Concurrently, Leslie Li Hsien Chang, Yan Zhuang and Guangchun Zhang are appointed to the board of CSI Solar.

Leslie Li Hsien Chang has been serving as senior advisor to CITIC Capital (Holdings) Limited since 2014. Prior to that, Chang served as a senior corporate executive and board director at several listed companies in Hong Kong.

Yan Zhuang joined the Canadian Solar management team in 2009 after initially joining the company as an independent director in 2007.

Over the past 11 years, he has served various leadership roles, most recently as president and CEO, and previously as acting CEO, senior VP and CCO, and VP of Global Sales and Marketing.

Guangchun Zhang served as Canadian Solar’s chief operations (Manufacturing) officer since 2012 and has over 18 years of experience in the solar photovoltaic industry.

Prior to joining the company, Zhang worked for Suntech Power Holdings as senior vice president for research and development and industrialization of manufacturing technology since 2005. From 1994 to 2005, Zhang worked at the Centre for Photovoltaic Engineering at the University of New South Wales in Australia and Pacific Solar.

Zhang was an associate professor in Shandong Technology University in China from 1982 to 1994. He received his bachelor’s degree from the School of Electronic Engineering at Shandong Industrial Institute.

“I am very pleased to welcome Leslie to both Boards of Directors, as he brings exceptional expertise on global and Asian financial markets, critical to Canadian Solar and our MSS business as we prepare for the China listing and future growth. I would also like to congratulate Yan and Guangchun in their new roles in CSI Solar. Both colleagues have been instrumental in the Company’s development over the past many years and I have no doubt that their contributions will take Canadian Solar and CSI Solar to new heights.”

Dr. Shawn Qu, chairman and CEO of Canadian Solar.