Yan Zhan
About Yan Zhan
Yan Zhan (age 50) has served on CREG’s Board since March 16, 2021 and concurrently works for the Company’s PRC subsidiary Xi’an TCH Energy Technology Co., Ltd., where he has served as Chief Sales Officer since June 2016; he holds a junior college diploma in Manufacturing Processes and Equipment from Northwestern Polytechnical University (September 1995) . The Board nominated him based on past marketing and sales experience, technical knowledge in energy recycling, and operational familiarity as a member of management . CREG’s Board identifies only three independent directors (Xiaoping Guo, LuLu Sun, Zhongli Liu), implying Mr. Zhan is not independent under NASDAQ rules . All directors attended more than 75% of Board/committee meetings in 2023 .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xi’An Kanghuamen Factory | Head of Production Department | 1995–1996 | Manufacturing leadership |
| Shanxi Educational College | Studied and taught | 1996–1998 | Academic experience |
| Xi’An Equipment Import and Export Company | Sales Manager | 1998–2004 | International sales |
| Shanxi Wanding Yandong Technology Co., Limited | General Manager | 2004–2013 | General management |
| Xi’an TCH Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (CREG subsidiary) | Employee (from May 2013); Chief Sales Officer (CSO) | May 2013–present; CSO since June 2016 | Commercial leadership in energy recycling |
External Roles
- No other public-company directorships disclosed for Mr. Zhan .
Board Governance
- Independence status: Not listed among independent directors; CREG identifies only Xiaoping Guo, LuLu Sun, and Zhongli Liu as independent under NASDAQ Rule 5605(a)(2) .
- Committee memberships: Audit Committee (members: Zhongli Liu—Chair, Xiaoping Guo, LuLu Sun), Compensation Committee (members: Xiaoping Guo—Chair, Zhongli Liu, LuLu Sun), Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee (members: LuLu Sun—Chair, Xiaoping Guo, Zhongli Liu); Mr. Zhan is not named on these committees .
- Board leadership: CEO Guohua Ku serves concurrently as Chairman; the Board has not named a Lead Independent Director .
- Attendance and engagement: Board held 1 meeting in 2023 and acted by unanimous consent 9 times; each director attended >75% of meetings; independent directors met twice in executive sessions in 2023 .
Fixed Compensation
- Director pay framework: Non‑employee directors receive RMB 50,000 annual cash board fee (USD $7,043 in 2023); no meeting fees or committee fees; no stock options granted in 2023 to non‑employee directors .
- Mr. Zhan is not listed in the non‑employee director compensation table (consistent with his status as an employee director), and no separate director compensation for him is disclosed in the proxy .
| 2023 Non‑Employee Director Fees (USD) | LuLu Sun | Xiaoping Guo | Zhongli Liu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash Board Fee | $7,043 | $7,043 | $7,043 |
Performance Compensation
- No director equity grants or option awards disclosed for non‑employee directors in 2023; the 2015 Omnibus Equity Plan authorizes 124,626 shares (as adjusted for reverse split) but no options were granted in 2023 .
- No performance metrics tied to director compensation are disclosed .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
- None disclosed for Mr. Zhan; biography lists only prior operating roles and current CSO role at Xi’an TCH .
- Board interlocks: Compensation Committee members are independent and no interlocks/insider participation are disclosed; no current member is a current/former officer or employee of CREG, and no cross-directorships with other companies’ executives are reported .
Expertise & Qualifications
- Technical and commercial expertise in energy recycling; Board cited his marketing/sales experience and operational knowledge of the Company as nomination rationale .
- Education: Junior college diploma in Manufacturing Processes and Equipment, Northwestern Polytechnical University (September 1995) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Outstanding |
|---|---|---|
| Yan Zhan | 0 | 0.00% (based on 8,765,857 shares outstanding) |
- Section 16(a) compliance: Company states all required insider ownership filings were timely for 2023 .
- Pledging/hedging: No pledging or hedging of stock disclosed for Mr. Zhan; no related-party loans or transactions reported .
Governance Assessment
- Independence and oversight: Mr. Zhan serves as a director while holding a senior management position (CSO) at a key operating subsidiary, and is not independent under NASDAQ rules; he is not on Audit, Compensation, or Nominating committees, limiting his formal governance oversight influence .
- Alignment: Mr. Zhan reports zero beneficial ownership of CREG shares, signaling limited “skin‑in‑the‑game” alignment relative to investor-preferred norms for directors .
- Board structure red flags: Combined CEO/Chair without a Lead Independent Director reduces independent counterbalance; board met only once in 2023, though independent directors held two executive sessions—both are noteworthy for monitoring governance robustness .
- Conflicts/related parties: Proxy reports no related‑party transactions or advances in 2023/2022; however, dual role (director and CSO) is an inherent conflict risk warranting continued investor scrutiny even in absence of disclosed transactions .
- Attendance and process: Mr. Zhan met the >75% attendance threshold; Section 16 compliance is affirmed for 2023, supporting baseline governance hygiene .
RED FLAGS
- Not independent; holds operating role (CSO) while serving on the Board .
- CEO/Chair combined and no Lead Independent Director .
- Zero share ownership (0.00%)—low ownership alignment for a director .
Mitigants
- Independent committees chaired by independent directors; independent directors meet in executive session .
- No related‑party transactions disclosed; all Section 16 filings timely for 2023 .