Zhang Xin was one of the first private entrepreneurs to engage in commercial real estate development in China. She has led the company she co-founded in 1995 with her husband Pan Shiyi, SOHO China, in becoming the largest-scale developer in Beijing´s city center. As CEO of SOHO China, she also led the company to an IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in October 2007, which has the distinction of being Asia´s largest commercial real estate IPO as of today.  

Zhang Xin has been responsible for conceptualizing all SOHO China development projects, striking a successful balance between architectural aesthetics and commercial viability. She and her husband have been instrumental in introducing the SOHO (Small Office-Home Office) to China by building efficient, multi-functional spaces that cater to China´s new entrepreneurialism. In addition to the many iconic projects she has developed in Beijing´s city center, Zhang Xin has also overseen the development of two award-winning boutique resorts, including the Commune by the Great Wall, for which she received an honor as patron of architectural works at the 8th la Biennale di Venezia. 

Born in Beijing in 1965, Zhang Xin moved to Hong Kong at age of 14. Later, she went to England and studied Economics at the University of Sussex. In 1992, she graduated with a Master´s degree in Development Economics from Cambridge University. She then ventured upon a career in investment banking, working for Goldman Sachs and Travelers Group before returning to her hometown, Beijing, to co-found SOHO China.

Aside from her entrepreneurial pursuits and her passion for art and architecture, Zhang Xin is deeply involved in philanthropy. She co-founded the SOHO China Foundation in 2005 with Pan Shiyi, a charity organization guided by the mission of advancing education as a means for alleviating poverty.

Select Awards and Recognition

• Selected as one of “Ten Women to Watch in Asia” by the Wall Street Journal, November 2007;
• Selected by World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader, 2005-present;
• Asia Business Council, member, 2005-present;
• China Institute in America, trustee, 2005-present;
• Received Business Week´s Stars of Asia Award, 2004;
• Received Montblanc de la Culture Arts Patronage Award, 2004;
• Named Asia´s Under-50 Movers and Shakers by Asia Inc, along with Pan Shiyi, 2003;
• Honored as an individual patron of architectural works at the 8th la Biennale di Venezia, Sept. 2002;
• Elected "Young Leader" by National Committee of US-China Relations, 2002 and 2003;
• Voted among "Most Influential Figures in the Age of China´s Transition" by foremost China business newspaper Economic Observer, 2002

Media Commentary

“They (Zhang Xin & Pan Shiyi) have both their vociferous critics and staunch fans, but whichever side of the fence you fall on, it is undeniable that their SOHO home-office model and their daring approach to architecture has made a major impact on Beijing´s luxury housing market and on lifestyles in the city.” — South China Morning Post

“[Pan Shiyi and Zhang Xin´s] love story was a fairy tale that combined Pan´s grassroots as a native-born son of humble beginnings who became involved in developing modern housing projects…and Zhang´s smarts and worldliness, drawn from her years of overseas experiences.” — Forbes.com

“Zhang Xin and her husband, Pan Shiyi…are among the country´s most outspoken defenders of the urban habitat. It is Zhang´s attempt, as she puts it, ‘to advocate urbanism to the market, to create a neighborhood rather than just a compound.’” — Time Magazine

“The company has made a name for itself by breaking with the drab proletarian past and infusing China´s modern architecture scene with an audacious, offbeat energy. Zhang has been dubbed a “young urban visionary” and a “dynamic trendsetter”. — Daily Telegraph Magazine