The Value of Appreciation and Continuous Learning: Yang Xu

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Yang Xu has a global background and broad experiences in finance. Born and raised in China, Ms. Xu obtained a bachelor’s degree in Finance. She then pursued her master’s degree at HEC Paris and London Business School. Upon graduation, she began her career with Whirlpool Corpor​​​​ation in 2004. She held many roles with increasing responsibilities across Treasury, M&A, Strategy, and various Finance functions in U.S., Europe and Asia. Her scope ranged from leading strategic planning, M&A deals, to various businesses CFO in the U.S.; leading commercial finance for 34 countries across EMEA; integrating a major acquisition in China as Sales & Marketing Director; and managing business operations in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Ms. Xu returned to Whirlpool’s global headquarters as Senior Director of Treasury in 2016. In 2018, she joined Kraft Heinz as Global Treasurer, a role that focuses on company capital structure, and manages debt, cash, derivatives, risk management and pension. She restructured the company’s debt portfolio and strengthened the balance sheet and liquidity. Her scope within Kraft Heinz further expanded to include various global finance functions, and most recently to include Corporate Development. She also leads Finance Transformation, a strategic agenda for the global finance function for Kraft Heinz. Ms. Xu is recognized by driving strategic directions through business financial acumen, capital market insights, large cross-functional projects, and global experiences. As a finance leader, she is passionate about developing talents and building strong and diverse organizations.