ZHANG RUIMIN, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Haier, has been awarded a national life-time achievement medal for management.

    The award recognizes outstanding figures who have made a great achievement to management science.

    Zhang was listed as one of 10 outstanding management talents in China in 2000. He has led Haier to continuously explore innovative business models which have been recognized by academic and management circles in Western countries.

    Walton Business College of Pennsylvania University professor Marshall Meyer said Haier’s business model has surpassed some Western management theories.

    Michael E. Porter, “the father of competitive strategy” in management and the writer of “Competitive Advantage,” said Zhang was a great strategic thinker, and that Haier’s strategic thinking was very clear and its practice was full of competitiveness, innovation and attraction.

    Gary Hamel, another world-class authority on strategy and the writer of “The Future of Management,” said one conundrum all companies and management had to confront was how to face up to the market and serve end users. Currently, only a few enterprises conducted analogous management innovation but few had realized success. “Haier’s independent management innovation is advanced. It must achieve great success.”

    Haier’s innovation of management models led to a 67-percent increase in the company’s profits in the first quarter of this year.(Martin Li, Yu Feng)