Ma Huateng, age 40, is an executive director, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Mr Ma has overall responsibilities for strategic planning and positioning and management of the Group. Mr Ma is one of the core founders and has been employed by the Group since 1999. Prior to his current employment, Mr Ma was in charge of research and development for Internet paging system development at China Motion Telecom Development Limited, a supplier of telecommunications services and products in China. Mr Ma is a member of the 5th Shenzhen Municipal People’s Congress. Mr Ma has a Bachelor of Science degree specialising in Computer & its Application obtained in 1993 from Shenzhen University and more than 18 years of experience in the telecommunications and Internet industries. He is also a director of Advance Data Services Limited which has interest in the shares of the Company.

Lau Chi Ping Martin, age 38, is an executive director with effect from 21 March 2007. Mr Lau was appointed as the President of the Company in February 2006 to assist Mr Ma Huateng, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, in managing the day-to-day operation of the Company. In February 2005, he joined the Company as the Chief Strategy and Investment Officer of the Company, and was responsible for corporate strategies, investments, merger and acquisitions and investor relations. Prior to joining the Company, Mr Lau was an Executive Director at Goldman Sachs (Asia) L.L.C’s investment banking division and the Chief Operating Officer of its Telecom, Media and Technology Group. Prior to that, he worked at Mckinsey & Company, Inc. as a management consultant. Mr Lau received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan, a Master of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and a MBA from Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University. On 28 July 2011, Mr Lau was appointed as a non-executive director of Kingsoft Corporation Limited, an internet based software developer, distributor and software service provider listed in Hong Kong.

Zhang Zhidong, age 40, is an executive director and Chief Technology Officer of the Company. Mr Zhang has overall responsibilities for the development of our proprietary technologies, including the basic IM platform and massive-scale online application systems. Mr Zhang is one of the core founders and has been employed by the Group since 1999. Prior to his current employment, Mr Zhang worked at Liming Network Group focusing on software and network application systems research and development. Mr Zhang has a Bachelor of Science degree specialising in Computer & its Application obtained in 1993 from Shenzhen University and a Master’s degree in Computer Application and System Structure from South China University of Technology obtained in 1996. Mr Zhang has more than 14 years of experience in the telecommunications and Internet industries. He is also a director of Best Update International Limited which has interest in the shares of the Company.

Antonie Andries Roux, age 53, has been a non-executive director since 10 December 2002. Mr Roux is the Chief Executive Officer of the MIH Group, a position he has held since April 2011.  Mr Roux joined the Naspers group in 1979 and was a founding member of M-Net in 1985. In 1997, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of M-Web South Africa and in 2002 as Chief Executive Officer of Naspers/MIH Internet operations.  Currently, Mr Roux serves on the boards of directors of a number of companies that are subsidiaries of or associated companies with MIH. Mr Roux has more than 32 years of experience in the telecommunications industry.

Charles St Leger Searle, age 47, has been a non-executive director since 5 June 2001. Mr Searle is currently the Chief Investment Officer of MIH Internet group companies. Prior to joining the MIH group companies, he held various corporate finance positions at Cable & Wireless plc and Hong Kong Telecom. Prior to joining Cable & Wireless plc, he was a senior corporate finance manager at Deloitte & Touche in London and Sydney. Currently, Mr Searle serves on the boards of directors of a number of companies that are subsidiaries of or associated companies with MIH. Mr Searle graduated from the University of Cape Town in 1987 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (1992). Mr Searle has more than 17 years of experience in the telecommunications and Internet industries.

Li Dong Sheng, age 55, has been an independent non-executive Director since April 2004. Mr Li is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TCL Corporation, the Chairman of the Hong Kong listed TCL Multimedia Technology Holdings Limited and the Chairman of the Hong Kong listed TCL Communication Technology Holdings Limited, all of which produce consumer electronic products. Mr Li graduated from South China University of Technology in 1982 with a Bachelor degree in radio technology and has more than 16 years of experience in the information technology field.

Iain Ferguson Bruce, age 70, has been an independent non-executive director since April 2004. Mr Bruce joined KPMG in Hong Kong in 1964 and was elected to its partnership in 1971. He was the Senior Partner of KPMG from 1991 until his retirement in 1996 and served as Chairman of KPMG Asia Pacific from 1993 to 1997. Since 1964, Mr Bruce has been a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and is a fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, with over 46 years’ experience in the accounting profession. He is also a fellow of The Hong Kong Institute of Directors and a member of The Hong Kong Securities Institute. Mr Bruce is currently an independent non-executive director of Goodbaby International Holdings Limited, a manufacturer of durable juvenile products, Paul Y. Engineering Group Limited, a construction and engineering services company, Sands China Ltd., an operator of integrated resorts and casinos, Vitasoy International Holdings Limited, a beverage manufacturing company, and Wing On Company International Limited, a department store operating and real property investment company; all of these companies are publicly listed companies in Hong Kong. Mr Bruce is also a non-executive director of Noble Group Limited, a commodity trading company that is publicly listed in Singapore, of China Medical Technologies, Inc., a China-based medical device company that is listed on NASDAQ, and of Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited, a China-based vertically integrated photovoltaic product manufacturer that is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Mr Bruce is an independent non-executive director of Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited and is the Chairman of KCS Limited.

Ian Charles Stone, age 60, has been an independent non-executive director since April 2004. Mr Stone is currently an Advisor on International Projects for PCCW Limited and Chief Executive Officer of SITC (a PCCW joint venture) in Saudi Arabia. Since 2001 in PCCW he has been CEO of UKBroadband in UK and then PCCW Mobile in Hong Kong, followed by being the Managing Director of the International Projects business. Mr Stone has more than 40 years of experience in the telecom and mobile industries. He was the CEO of SmarTone between 1999 and 2001 prior to which held various senior positions in telecom businesses of the First Pacific Group in Hong Kong and Philippines. Mr Stone has also held senior positions at Cable & Wireless plc and Hong Kong Telecom, including as Managing Director of CSL and Commercial Director of Hongkong Telecom. Mr. Stone is a fellow member of the Hong Kong Institute of Directors.