Qiang Liu
About Qiang Liu
Qiang Liu (age 48) is an independent director nominee to Gulf Resources, Inc. (GURE) with nearly 30 years of experience in financial management and auditing; he is a Certified Public Accountant and currently serves as Chief Financial Officer of Shandong Yijia Agricultural Chemicals Co., Ltd. since 2010 . Liu earned a bachelor’s degree from Dalian University of Technology in 2001; he has not previously served on GURE’s board and is nominated for election at the September 9, 2025 annual meeting . The board has determined he is independent under NASDAQ Listing Rule 5605(a)(2) .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Tenure | Committees/Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shandong Yijia Agricultural Chemicals Co., Ltd. | Chief Financial Officer | 2010–present | Long-tenured finance leadership in chemicals industry; CPA credential |
| Shandong Zhongcheng Certified Public Accountants Co., Ltd. | Director of Business Department One | 2005–2010 | Audit and business department leadership |
| Dongguan Shijie Town Liuwudong Juji Electromechanical Co. | Chief Accountant | 2001–2005 | Accounting head for electromechanical company |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Public/Private | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shandong Yijia Agricultural Chemicals Co., Ltd. | CFO | Private (not disclosed as public) | 2010–present | Sector-adjacent chemicals exposure; potential knowledge transfer |
Board Governance
- Committee assignments: slated to serve on Audit Committee and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee; will replace Yang Zou on the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee upon election .
- Independence: Board determined Qiang Liu is independent; all members of Audit, Compensation, and Nominating & Corporate Governance Committees are independent .
- Board leadership: CEO also serves as Chairman; no Lead Independent Director; independent directors plan executive sessions collaboratively .
- Meetings: In 2024, the Board met 4 times; Audit 4; Compensation 1; Nominating 1; no director attended fewer than 75% of meetings (note: Liu was not on the board in 2024) .
Fixed Compensation
| Component | Amount/Structure | Vesting/Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cash retainer | $0 for independent directors | N/A |
| Equity grant (independent directors) | 1,000 shares of restricted common stock annually | Grant contingent on continued service; restricted stock granted to directors as part of annual compensation |
| Committee membership/Chair fees | Not disclosed | N/A |
| Meeting fees | Not disclosed | N/A |
Performance Compensation
| Instrument | Performance Metrics | Grant/Value | Vesting/Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director-specific performance-based awards | None disclosed for directors; independent directors receive restricted stock only | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Company-wide 2025 Stock Incentive Plan eligibility | Plan permits performance stock, performance units, RSUs, SARs and options for directors, employees, consultants (up to 2,000,000 shares aggregate) | Awards at committee discretion; no re-pricing without shareholder approval | Vesting tied to service or performance goals per award agreements; Section 409A and ISO rules apply |
No director-level performance metrics (TSR, EBITDA, ESG) are disclosed for Qiang Liu; independent directors are compensated via annual restricted stock grants rather than performance-linked equity .
Other Directorships & Interlocks
| Company | Type | Role | Committees | Interlock/Conflict With GURE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shandong Yijia Agricultural Chemicals Co., Ltd. | Private | CFO | Not disclosed | No related-party transactions disclosed involving Liu; Board affirmed independence |
Expertise & Qualifications
- Certified Public Accountant; ~30 years in financial management and auditing .
- CFO experience in chemicals sector; prior audit firm leadership and chief accountant roles .
- Education: Bachelor’s degree, Dalian University of Technology (2001) .
Equity Ownership
| Holder | Shares Beneficially Owned | % of Class | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qiang Liu | 0 | 0.0% | No reported ownership as of July 15, 2025; Section 16(a) compliance statement indicates timely filings generally in 2024 (not person-specific) |
Governance Assessment
- Strengths: Independent status; slated for Audit and Nominating roles strengthens oversight; CPA and deep finance/audit experience align with Audit Committee needs .
- Risks/Considerations:
- Board leadership concentration (CEO is Chairman) and absence of Lead Independent Director may weaken independent oversight; mitigated somewhat by independent director executive sessions .
- External CFO role in chemicals (Shandong Yijia) is industry-adjacent; while independence affirmed and no related-party transactions tied to Liu are disclosed, ongoing monitoring for any business dealings is prudent .
- Company has existing related-party arrangements (e.g., property management with entity tied to former Chairman); although not associated with Liu, these are governance risk indicators at the issuer level .
RED FLAGS: No Lead Independent Director ; issuer-level related-party transactions with entities linked to insiders (not Liu) . Signals to monitor: any future transactions involving Shandong Yijia or entities connected to Liu that could impair independence .
Document Citations
- 2025 DEF 14A proxy statement, Gulf Resources, Inc. (filed July 25, 2025):