Drone startup Ehang ropes in collection of top talent to bolster boardroom

Ehang Technology Co Ltd, a drone startup established a year ago in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, has included four former high-profile managers from the information technology and Internet industries in its executive management team, according to the company.

The recent move, announced by the company on its website early this week, would help transfer the company from a startup to a big player amid the burgeoning drone industry, according to Xiong Yifang, co-founder of Ehang.

"They are very experienced, either in startup business management or capital raising sector. Their joining will certainly help boost Ehang's management and expand our business," said Xiong.

According to the announcement, Xiao Shangwen, former president of 21Via net Group, a Nasdaq-listed company and a leading carrier-neutral Internet services provider, will serve as chief financial officer and co-founder of Ehang.

Xiao's former colleague, Liu Jian, also joined Ehang as deputy financial director of the company.

Qi Wei, former vice-president of Lenovo Group Ltd, a leading PC maker, has become a co-founder and senior deputy operational president of Ehang.

Prior to joining Ehang, Qi was in charge of research and development business for smartphones and panel computers of Lenovo, which reported a sharp decline in net profits in the second quarter of the year.

Wang Yijun, former sales director of Microsoft (China), is working with the Ehang as its deputy sales president.

"Ehang has shown potential to expand its business in the drone market. That is why the company has attracted so many high-profile managers," said Xu Xiaoping, one of the investors of Ehang.

Following GGV Capital's investment of $10 million in Ehang at the end of last year, Xu and Yang Ning, two of China's most successful angel investors, have also injected funds into the company.

Ehang recently signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Hobbico Inc, the world's largest model hobby firm based in the United States, helping expand its sales in the overseas market.

Ehang's Ghost Drone, one of the series that allows users to control the machine through mobile Internet, has been sold to more than 70 countries and regions, making it one of the fastest-growing players in the drone market.