Close filter

Catherine Zhu

Contact Details

+1 416 364 0222

Connect With Me

Catherine Zhu, based in Toronto, is Egon Zehnder’s Global Head of the Sustainability Practice. She is a trusted advisor to boards, entrepreneurial CEOs and family business owners on their critical leadership decisions. Catherine brings deep multi-regional business expertise to her clients, providing talent and governance advice to firms operating on the global stage. She is the former Co-Head of Egon Zehnder’s Greater China Practice and was Managing Partner in Hong Kong until 2019.

If the higher purpose of great leaders is to serve humanity, then the Purpose of our Practice should be to discover, develop and enable leaders on our collective journey towards Sustainable Growth.

A thought partner in CEO Succession, Board Diversity, and Sustainability, Catherine has partnered with founders of technology companies in Asia, North America and Europe to attract and develop their top leadership teams. Prior to joining Egon Zehnder, Catherine was a Managing Director at Electronic Data Systems (EDS). Earlier in her career she held leadership roles with Motorola, Nortel, and Yum! Brands.

Catherine earned an MBA from the University of Toronto and a BA from Zhejiang University in China. She served on the Board of Save the Children (Hong Kong) for five years. She is currently a Trustee of The Commons Project, a New York based global public trust for health data sharing. She is also a mentor for Creative Destructive Lab, a nonprofit organization that shares founders’ ambition and scales early stage, science & technology based companies.

Get in touch
Send Catherine a Message
Browse all
Thought Leadership

Thought Leadership by Catherine Zhu

From Leadership to Stewardship: Charting Asia’s Sustainable Future

From Leadership to Stewardship: Charting Asia’s Sustainable Future

Businesses today strive for longevity amid complexity, paving the way for stewardship not just leadership. Egon Zehnder explored the critical intersection of sustainability stewardship,… Read more

CSOs Propel Shift Towards Sustainable Business Practices

CSOs Propel Shift Towards Sustainable Business Practices

A new Egon Zehnder study reveals that, supported by CEOs, CSOs are amplifying sustainability impact and embedding it across organizational operations. Read more

Elevating the CSO's voice

Elevating the CSO's voice

Chief Sustainability Officers share how they are transforming their organizations—and what they need from boards and CEOs to make their vision a reality. Read more

How to Find a CSO with the Range of Skills your Company Needs

How to Find a CSO with the Range of Skills your Company Needs

The CSO role has become much more strategic, taking responsibility for broader business transformation, explains Catherine Zhu, Global Head of Egon Zehnder's Sustainability Practice. Read more

Pioneering Sustainability: A fireside chat with Roberto Marques, Former Chair and CEO of Natura &Co.

Pioneering Sustainability: A fireside chat with Roberto Marques, Former Chair and CEO of Natura &Co.

Roberto Marques, Former Chair & CEO Natura &Co, spoke about Scaling Sustainability and Key Competencies for the Board and the Employees. Read more

Where are all the jobs? A sector guide for students

Where are all the jobs? A sector guide for students

Catherine Zhu, head of the sustainability practice, discusses the green jobs available for students and the workforce at large with the Financial Times. Read more

Four Ways to Move Your Sustainability Agenda Forward

Four Ways to Move Your Sustainability Agenda Forward

As companies gear up to incorporate sustainability more holistically, we outline practical actions leaders can take to make progress on sustainability goals. Read more

Creating a sustainable world through leadership

Creating a sustainable world through leadership

From companies announcing carbon emissions reductions, to ongoing media coverage of environmental and social issues, awareness has never been greater. But is enough action… Read more

CEOs at the Vanguard of Sustainable Growth

CEOs at the Vanguard of Sustainable Growth

A sizeable minority of CEOs—one in four of those who participated in our survey—say that sustainability is already a major driver of their decisions.… Read more

How Alibaba’s Tmall is Changing eCommerce in China

How Alibaba’s Tmall is Changing eCommerce in China

Insights for western brands looking for global eCommerce growth in a post-COVID world from Chris Tung, Chief Marketing Officer of Alibaba. Read more

Creating Opportunities While Weathering a Crisis

Creating Opportunities While Weathering a Crisis

Egon Zehnder gathered Chinese executives and US public board members on May 14th to exchange their experiences and share their outlook for the future. Read more

The Reopening Dilemma: Care, then Performance

The Reopening Dilemma: Care, then Performance

Global CHROs in Asia and elsewhere on what’s working and what isn’t. Read more

A Global Conversation About HR

A Global Conversation About HR

A 5-part report on how HR leaders can reshape the future of the function. Read more

Fostering Entrepreneurial Leadership to Re-imagine Our Careers, Companies, and Community

Fostering Entrepreneurial Leadership to Re-imagine Our Careers, Companies, and Community

Hong Kong and China's most successful business leaders gathered to answer the question: Will we be marginalized by the disruptions of technology and the… Read more

Catherine Zhu's columns in the South China Morning Post

Catherine Zhu's columns in the South China Morning Post

Catherine Zhu, Managing Partner of Egon Zehnder in Hong Kong, writes a monthly column in the careers section of the South China Morning Post,… Read more

South China Morning Post – Two-Pizza Rule Helps Companies to Start-Up or Scale Up

South China Morning Post – Two-Pizza Rule Helps Companies to Start-Up or Scale Up

Big businesses are often slow to adapt and innovate, while start-ups struggle to build teams and systems to scale up their businesses. How can… Read more

“If I Have to Give You One Piece of Advice, It Is to Be Yourself and Accept Who You Are; Never Complain and Never Compare.”
4:09

“If I Have to Give You One Piece of Advice, It Is to Be Yourself and Accept Who You Are; Never Complain and Never Compare.”

How This Mother and Daughter Reached the Top of Chinese Business Leadership. An interview with Hera Siu, COO, Greater China, of Cisco Systems, and… Read more

Egon Zehnder’s Catherine Zhu as panelist at FT NED event “Bridging the Diversity Gap in a New Era”, Hong Kong

Egon Zehnder’s Catherine Zhu as panelist at FT NED event “Bridging the Diversity Gap in a New Era”, Hong Kong

To mark International Women’s Day, Catherine Zhu, co-leader of Egon Zehnder’s Greater China Practice, will participate in an exclusive panel discussion organized by the… Read more

Interview with Umran Beba, PepsiCo

Interview with Umran Beba, PepsiCo

Umran Beba, former President Asia-Pacific and current Chief Diversity and Engagement Officer of PepsiCo, has advocated increasing the number of women in management positions –… Read more

Leading in the Connected Age

Leading in the Connected Age

Technological transformation continues to unfold at a relentless pace. To effectively adapt to this new era, companies must recruit and develop a different kind… Read more

“When You Care About Our World You Simply Have to Manage Better”

“When You Care About Our World You Simply Have to Manage Better”

If you’ve purchased a premium cotton shirt from the likes of Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger or one of many other well-known designers,… Read more

Financial Times – Catherine Hongxia Zhu – Succession: Best Practices for Chinese Family Businesses

Financial Times – Catherine Hongxia Zhu – Succession: Best Practices for Chinese Family Businesses

As China’s first generation of family entrepreneurs grows older, an increasing number of businesses are facing the thorny succession issue, reports the Financial Times’… Read more

South China Morning Post – Making a Difference in Your Career

South China Morning Post – Making a Difference in Your Career

Individuals seeking to make an impact on the world need to think big, says Egon Zehnder consultant Catherine Zhu in a blog posting for… Read more

South China Morning Post – It’s time Hongkongers shed their fear of failure and followed their dreams

South China Morning Post – It’s time Hongkongers shed their fear of failure and followed their dreams

In its 50 years of statehood, Singapore has dreamed big and achieved remarkable success, says Catherine Zhu, Managing Partner of Egon Zehnder in Hong… Read more

South China Morning Post – Like Father, like Son? Succession Planning in Chinese Family Businesses

South China Morning Post – Like Father, like Son? Succession Planning in Chinese Family Businesses

Family businesses are the bedrock of the economy in China, says Catherine Zhu, Managing Partner of Egon Zehnder in Hong Kong. Read more

“Everything falls into place once you have the right people on board.”

“Everything falls into place once you have the right people on board.”

Sonia Cheng, a 34-year-old CEO and mother of two, describes the need for a strong team, passion and proper balance in both professional and… Read more

SCMP – Now hiring: Hong Kong’s next-gen CEOs

SCMP – Now hiring: Hong Kong’s next-gen CEOs

In what could be a watershed moment for Hong Kong, major companies are looking to hire young, inspirational, tech-savvy candidates for their most senior… Read more

Spreadsheet manager or future leader?

Spreadsheet manager or future leader?

Relentless focus on quarterly results means many leaders struggle to reflect on long-term strategy. Read more

Family business: planning for the long term

Family business: planning for the long term

Few family businesses outlive their founders. Those that do cultivate “family gravity” – an ethos, long-term roadmap and talent plan that embrace the next… Read more

Leadership: Nobody’s perfect

Leadership: Nobody’s perfect

What characterizes outstanding leaders? Courage, determination and resilience, writes Egon Zehnder consultant Cathering Zhu in a blog that relates her encounter with one of… Read more

Don't be dinosaurs

Don't be dinosaurs

Social Media engagement of executives, digital, transformational leadership Read more

Keeping it fresh

Keeping it fresh

The benefit of cross-industry hires (with respect to digital developments e.g.) Read more

Show you can lead

Show you can lead

The importance of developing a vision and show deep curiosity for new challenges. Read more

Women: it’s your choice to lead

Women: it’s your choice to lead

Women are in demand and can lead if they are able and willing, but this “is a delibaret choice – and entails sacrifice” -… Read more

Engage to succeed

Engage to succeed

Mutual dialogue with customers and stakeholders is necessary today – and a recipe for success. Read more

Chinese Companies Try Out New Ways to Find Next Generation Leaders

Chinese Companies Try Out New Ways to Find Next Generation Leaders

It’s no secret: today’s business environment is characterized by greater uncertainty and faster change. But how are Chinese companies responding when it comes to… Read more

Leaders: Play to Your Strengths

Leaders: Play to Your Strengths

Why do many companies encourage executives to focus on their weaknesses, when building their strengths is what makes a difference to the bottom line?… Read more

Developing digital leadership skills

Developing digital leadership skills

The digital transformation is driving demand for leaders able to use social media to boost customer service and engagement, writes Catherine Zhu, a consultant… Read more

Related Experts Around the Globe

Juliana Rodríguez

Juliana Rodríguez

Bogotá

Juliana Rodríguez Caicedo, based in Bogotá, serves clients across Latin America as an active member of Egon Zehnder’s Financial Services and Consumer… Read more

Calvin Yee

Calvin Yee

Los Angeles, New York

Calvin Yee, based in New York and Los Angeles, is the Head, Global Media, & Entertainment, a leader in the Sports & Digital Practice… Read more

Siva Chen

Siva Chen

Atlanta

Siva Chen is active in Egon Zehnder’s Industrial Practice and has deep expertise in supply chain, operations, and the industrial sector. Based in… Read more

Changing language
Close icon

You are switching to an alternate language version of the Egon Zehnder website. The page you are currently on does not have a translated version. If you continue, you will be taken to the alternate language home page.

Continue to the website

Back to top