Fortune magazine’s China edition named her one of its Most Powerful Women in Business in China in 2023 and 2024. As co-head of Bain’s Asia-Pacific private equity practice, she and her team help multinational corporations and local companies position themselves to tackle strategic issues that face them throughout the region.
As Bain’s only senior female partner in China, she’s been outspoken about the need for more women in executive positions there. Women, according to her, hold only about 19 percent of top jobs. “Three things can move the needle — executive commitment, an inclusive culture to take on unconscious bias, and an equitable environment to provide part-time opportunities or other support,” she said.
The Shanghai native was valedictorian and double majored in economics and math. She is grateful Hamilton took a chance on accepting her. “I know how hard it must have been to judge a candidate who came from a very different background, who didn’t take the SAT because it wasn’t offered in Shanghai,” she recalled.
“I clearly remember learning that good writing means supporting your arguments in logical, succinct ways — nothing fancy. In English, even without a huge vocabulary, you can write beautifully.”
Her freshman English class Persuasive Argument opened her eyes to the differences between how English speakers and Chinese communicate in writing. “I clearly remember learning that good writing means supporting your arguments in logical, succinct ways — nothing fancy. In English, even without a huge vocabulary, you can write beautifully. In Chinese, arguments often may not be as explicitly laid out. The emphasis could be more on an extensive vocabulary than the logic of the essay.”
Preparing meals for her husband and three children brings satisfaction away from work. “It’s like meditation where everything slows down,” Yang said. Cooking and her career have something in common — both require her to be “very precise, accurate, and drive things to perfection.”
Looking back, she didn’t realize how fast China was changing when she was a student. “I’ve seen the extremely fast acceleration, then the first wave where everyone wanted to come to China, and now some companies exiting. It’s like a full circle,” she said.
Posted July 22, 2025
