HAIER President Yang Mianmian was ranked 17th out of Fortune’s Top 50 Most Influential Women in Business on Sept. 29, the sixth time Yang has been included in the list.

Over the past few years, Yang has led the company’s transformation from a home appliance manufacturer to service provider under the guidance of Haier’s chief executive officer Zhang Ruimin. In 2009, the company made a profit of 3.49 billion yuan (US$520 million), with a continued steady increase in profit for the first three quarters of this year.

The company has gradually entered the high-end section of the global market, selling first-class electronic products in countries such as Italy, Germany and the United States.

As one of the core founders of the world’s No. 1 white home appliance producer, Yang has already attracted attention in international business circles with her confidence and passion, and has been listed as one of the most influential women in the world by financial publications including the Wall Street Journal and Forbes.

(Wang Yuanyuan, Qing Bao)