Based on the recent reports, Chinese search giant Baidu has hired Microsoft veteran Zhang Yaqin in China. Zhang Yaqin is the Corporate Vice President, and chairman of Microsoft Asia-Pacific R&D Group. He is currently leading thousands of engineers and scientists involved in research and development. Zhang has published more than 500 refereed papers in leading international conferences and journals and has been granted over 50 U.S. patents in digital video, Internet, multimedia, wireless and satellite communications. Many of the technologies he and his team developed have become the basis for start-up ventures, commercial products, and international standards.
As Corporate Vice President of Microsoft, and Chairman of Microsoft Asia-Pacific Research and Development Group (ARD), Dr. Ya-Qin Zhang is responsible for driving Microsoft’s overall research and development efforts in the Asia-Pacific region, ensuring success for the company in this growing market. Under Zhang’s leadership, ARD has become Microsoft’s largest R&D center outside of U.S., with more than 3000 engineers and scientists engaged in basic research, technology innovation and incubation, product development, and strategic partnerships. In addition to this role, Zhang serves on Microsoft China’s Executive Management Committee providing leadership and governance across all of Microsoft’s organizations in the Greater China Region.
From 2004-2006, Zhang was the Corporate Vice President of Microsoft, responsible for Microsoft’s Mobile and Embedded Division in Redmond, USA, including WinCE operating system, Smartphone, PocketPC, and other Windows Mobile platform and devices. Prior to that, he was the managing director of Microsoft Research Asia, Microsoft’s basic research arm in Asia-Pacific region.
From 1994 to 1999, he was the director of Multimedia Technology Laboratory at Sarnoff
Microsoft is expected to announce Zhang’s resignation this week.
Sources close to Baidu said Zhang would be named president for new business and become an integral part of the company’s senior management. He would report directly to Robin Li Yanhong, the co-founder, chairman and chief executive of Baidu.
It is a great loss for Microsoft in Asia region, hopefully they will find another right leader soon.
Read more on it here.