‘Huawei princess’ Meng Wanzhou's three-decade journey at tech empire

The 54-year-old executive, often called the "Princess of Huawei," placed fourth on Fortune’s 2026 ranking of Asia’s 100 most powerful women in business, published on Oct. 6.

She was the highest-ranked executive from a Chinese technology company, behind Singapore's DBS Group CEO Tan Su Shan, Luxshare Precision founder Grace Wang and Lens Technology founder Zhou Qunfei, according to Fortune.

She also placed 12th globally on the publication's list of the world's most powerful women in business earlier this year. The U.S. magazine highlighted Huawei's financial performance, its return to the top of China's smartphone market and its growing role in developing domestic AI chips.

Meng now serves as deputy chairwoman and chief financial officer of Huawei, one of China's largest technology companies. She is also one of three senior executives who take turns leading the company.

Meng Wanzhou, deputy chairwoman, rotating chairwoman and CFO of Huawei. Photo courtesy of Huawei

Early years at Huawei

Meng was born in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. Her father, Ren, was a former military engineer who founded Huawei in 1987 with the equivalent of $3,000, initially focusing on telecommunications equipment, according to The Washington Post.

She studied at Huazhong University of Science and Technology and began working at China Construction Bank after graduating in 1992. A year later, she joined her father's company, initially performing administrative duties, including answering telephone calls.

"I served as a secretary, and helped on sales and exhibitions etcetera, when the company was small. My early jobs in Huawei were very trivial," she told China's 21st Century Business Herald in a 2013 interview.

Meng later earned a master's degree from Huazhong University of Science and Technology and moved into Huawei's finance department, which she described as "the real start of my career."

For years, many colleagues reportedly did not know she was the founder's daughter, partly because she used her mother's surname rather than Ren. She also kept her professional relationship with her father separate from their family ties, referring to him as "President Ren" rather than "father" in interviews.

"He is a CEO at work, and a father at home," she once said, according to AFP.

As Huawei expanded internationally, Meng took on increasingly senior financial roles. According to Huawei's official biography, she served as director of international accounting, CFO of Huawei Hong Kong and president of the company's accounting management department.

In 2003, she began developing a unified financial management system for Huawei's global operations. Between 2007 and 2014, she led an overhaul of the company's financial operations, standardizing procedures and strengthening financial controls across its international businesses. She subsequently oversaw improvements in financial reporting, data management, taxation and risk controls. Since 2019, she has also led efforts to integrate digital technology and artificial intelligence into Huawei's financial operations.

Meng drew international attention in December 2018 when she was arrested in Vancouver at the request of U.S. authorities over bank fraud allegations linked to Huawei's business dealings with Iran. She spent nearly three years in Canada under bail restrictions while fighting extradition to the U.S.

In September 2021, she reached a deferred prosecution agreement with U.S. authorities, allowing her to return to China without pleading guilty to the charges. She subsequently resumed her senior responsibilities at Huawei.

Leadership role at one of China's largest technology companies

In 2023, Meng became one of Huawei's three rotating chairpersons, who take turns overseeing the company's operations for six months at a time.

Her most recent term ran from October 2025 through March 2026. Huawei reported revenue of 880.9 billion yuan ($132 billion) for 2025, its second-highest annual total on record. Net profit reached 68 billion yuan, while research and development spending totaled 192.3 billion yuan, accounting for 21.8% of revenue, according to the company's 2025 annual report.

Huawei has expanded beyond telecommunications equipment and smartphones into artificial intelligence, semiconductors, cloud computing and intelligent vehicles. The company has also increased investment in developing its own technology amid U.S. restrictions on its access to advanced foreign-made semiconductors.

Announcing Huawei's annual results in March, Meng emphasized the importance of maintaining the company's long-term strategy despite an uncertain business environment.

"We are moving toward a future that is full of uncertainty, so we have to remain true to our strategy and maintain strategic focus," she said. "We will translate strategy to execution, keep cultivating the developer ecosystem, and pursue high-quality development."