Can TikTok’s new CEO save Gen Z’s favourite app in the US? Singapore’s Shou Zi Chew graduated from Harvard, interned at Facebook and worked for Xiaomi
- His predecessor Kevin Mayer stepped down after Donald Trump labelled TikTok a US security risk – will Chew be able to save Gen Z’s beloved media-sharing app?
- ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming has no doubts about the incoming CEO, saying that Chew and new COO Vanessa Pappas ‘set the stage for sustained growth’
TikTok has a new boss, with Singaporean native Shou Zi Chew recently appointed as chief executive officer of the popular video-sharing app. This announcement was made eight months after Chew’s predecessor, Kevin Mayer, stepped down from the top job.
Chew, who also serves as chief financial officer of TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is sure to come under scrutiny – so here are five interesting facts to know about the 38-year-old tech executive.
A Harvard graduate
Goldman Sachs and Xiaomi had him first
While it is quite surprising to discover that Chew was once an intern at Facebook, it is not the only huge company that he worked for before coming on board at ByteDance and TikTok. The Singaporean exec started his career at Goldman Sachs. He then played an instrumental role in the success of Xiaomi as CFO, and later on, as president of the gadget giant’s international business.