China, Beijing-based
Strategic Advisory, International Government Relations
Entertainment, Information Technology
Senior Advisor to The Scowcroft Group, Lihui Zhang provides strategic advice and international government relations strategies to clients on China, with a focus on the entertainment industry and Chinese media policy.
Ms. Zhang offers clients the benefits of a substantial media career in China and the U.S. Before undertaking graduate studies at the University of Southern California, she was a journalist at the China Film Association, analyzing the film industry for the Chinese government. While a graduate student at USC, she served as a consultant for Warner Bros., a cinematographer for a USC educational research video program sponsored by the U.S. government, and an announcer and translator for Voice of America in Washington, DC.
As the longest-serving Chinese national executive of a Hollywood studio, Ms. Zhang's experience has spanned the evolution of China's entertainment market from the VCD format to the current focus on digital distribution. In 1995, she joined Warner Bros. in China as Chief Representative and later became Vice President of Government Relations and New Business Development. At Warner Brothers, she has managed multifaceted film releases and helped pioneer the home entertainment market, initially supervising three independent licensees and thereafter setting up CAV Warner, a home entertainment JV based in Shanghai. She maintains strong relationships with all departments of the Chinese government that oversee media and related industries.
Ms. Zhang holds a PhD in Film and Television Studies from the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California. She is a U.S. Permanent Resident and currently resides in Beijing as a Senior Advisor for the Scowcroft Group.