Shanghai Sunrise has a new Executive Director

We are happy to announce that we have a new Executive Director. This week, Yulia Yan, who was our volunteer Sponsor Relations Manager in 2018/2019, returned to Shanghai Sunrise in her new role as head of our Executive team.

“We are thrilled to welcome Yulia back to Shanghai Sunrise and look forward to her contributing to the important work we do in the community.”

- Frances O’Rourke, Board Chair

Yulia is a seasoned professional with more than nine years of working experience in international sales, business development and cross-cultural project management in the aviation and non-profit fields. She holds a Master of Science degree in Organizational & Business Psychology from the University of Liverpool (UK) and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the Far East State Technical University (Russia). A global manager, she also volunteers with Lifeline in Shanghai and speaks Russian, English and Mandarin Chinese.

“I strongly believe education increases the quality of life of a society as a whole. Every young person should therefore have the opportunity to finish school – regardless of his or her family’s income.”

- Yulia Yan, Executive Director

Yulia first came to China in 2007, looking for an adventure. After studying Mandarin in Harbin for two years, she moved to Shanghai where she started her career in sales. Over the years, she developed a strong interest in strategy, organizational management and talent development. She also longed to do something more purposeful in life. This dedication to serve a good cause together with her professional skillset makes Yulia a perfect match for her new responsibilities as Shanghai Sunrise’s Executive Director.

As ED she will make sure all aspects of the organization are managed in accordance with the Shanghai Sunrise charter and strategic plan. In addition, she will lead both a small professional staff and a team of committed volunteers.

We also want to express our sincere gratitude to Lillian Zhao for her hard work and dedication as Executive Director over the past 18 months. Lillian has actually been a volunteer and staff member of Shanghai Sunrise for many years. Although she is pursuing her entrepreneurial dream of e-commerce in the fashion industry, Lillian will continue volunteering with Shanghai Sunrise and support us with student and sponsor engagement.

We are excited to welcome Yulia back to our team and wish her and Lillian great success in their new roles, particularly during these challenging times.

Yulia's Profile

Name: Yulia Yan

Family status: married

Education: BA in Architecture, MSc in Organizational & Business Psychology

Expertise: international sales, business development, cross-cultural project management

Motivation: a cup of coffee in the morning and the opportunity to learn something new every single day

Languages: Russian, English, Mandarin Chinese

Hobbies: sports (cycling around Shanghai, Pilates, kick-boxing), cooking and eating, psychology (listening to podcasts and reading about life hacks)

Pets: two cats

Favorite food: ice cream