Hong Chen
Before starting The Hina Group, Dr. Chen founded and served as the Chairman and CEO of GRIC Communications, and led its successful IPO on NASDAQ in 1999. Dr. Chen served GRIC’s CEO from 1994 to early 2003 and continues to serve as the Chairman of GRIC, a global leader in deploying world¡¯s largest virtual dial up and broadband WiFi network in 150 countries. Prior to GRIC, he founded and was president and CEO of Aimnet, a successful Northern California Internet service provider that was acquired by Verio in 1997, which was sold to NTT in 2000 for $5.6B.
Dr. Chen is a highly respected new economy leader in the Asia Pacific community. He served as the President and Chairman of the Asian American MultiTech Association (AAMA) in 2000 and 2001 respectively, the largest Asia Pacific focused, high-tech business and executive association in Silicon Valley with over 1000 members. He is the President of the Hua Yuan Science and Technology Association, the ¡°Churchill Club¡± of Mainland Born Chinese business leaders in Silicon Valley and China.
As one of the first group of mainland Chinese oversea students in the United States, and having founded and brought his company to IPO on NASDAQ as CEO, Dr. Chen has received numerous awards. In 1998, China¡¯s Committee for Oversea Chinese published a book naming Dr. Chen as one of the 30 most successful overseas Chinese worldwide. In 2000, Digital Weekly/Business Week of Taiwan named him one of the 100 most influential Chinese new world economy leaders. In 2001, China¡¯s CCTV cited Dr. Chen as one of the most successful Chinese in North America. He has also received an honorary professorship at one of the most prestigious Chinese universities, Xian Jiaotong University. In 2002, Deloitte & Touche named GRIC as one of the 500 fastest growing technology companies in North America.
Dr. Chen has spoken and keynoted numerous times on issues such as the global and China communications market, Chinese entrepreneurship, and Asia Pacific new economy at prominent universities and business forums. He often advises top executives of many leading Asian telecom carriers on global strategy.
Dr. Chen received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Xian Jiaotong University in 1982 at the age of 19, and a Ph.D. in computer science from State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1991.