Wingtech Technology, the Chinese owner of Nexperia, has named experienced general counsel Sophie Shen Xinjia, a Columbia Law School graduate, as its president amid a Sino-Dutch dispute over control of the Netherlands-based chipmaker.
Shen’s tenure as president would be in line with that of Wingtech’s 12th board, which was formed in January and will expire by January 2028, according to the company’s filing with the Shanghai Stock Exchange on Friday.
She replaced Zhang Qiuhong, who served as Wingtech’s president until her resignation on July 14, according to the firm’s filing on July 15. At the time, Shen was the company’s general counsel. Shen was named a vice-president on the same day Zhang resigned, but served as the firm’s acting president, according to the filing.
Shen, 41, joined Nexperia in January 2017 as head of legal affairs for the Asia-Pacific region, following stints at US firm TRW and German engineering company Bosch.
Her appointment and experience reflected Wingtech’s current need to overcome issues surrounding Nexperia, which Dutch authorities seized control of on September 30, citing national security concerns and invoking an obscure 1952 law known as the Goods Availability Act.
Newly appointed Wingtech Technology president Sophia Shen Xinjia. Photo: Handout
According to Wingtech’s filing, Shen has more than 15 years of experience as a legal counsel. That covered such areas as corporate governance and compliance, mergers and acquisitions, and cross-border transactions. Shen was also qualified to practice law in China, the company said.
