Xiaolei Zhao currently serves as Head of the Investment and Technology Promotion Office of Shanghai at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and concurrently as Co-Dean of the Green Growth Joint Research Institute, a collaboration between Shanghai Jiao Tong University and UNIDO. Her previous positions include Vice President of Shanghai Harbor City Development Group; Chairman of Lingang Software Park; Vice Chairman of Lingang Science and Technology City; General Manager of the Business Promotion Center of Shanghai Zhangjiang Group; and General Manager of Shanghai Zhangjiang Investment and Entrepreneurship Service in Shanghai Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park.
After joining UNIDO, she received the 2020 UNIDO Director-General Model Excellence Award, recognising her achievements in advancing industrial technology innovation and global cooperation with local governments and the private sector worldwide.
In her research, Ms Zhao has led the compilation of high-quality reports including “Experiences of Digital Factory Construction in Developed Countries and the Digital Development of Shanghai’s Manufacturing Industry,” “Bridging the Gender Divide in the Digital Era,” “Report on Supply Chain Resilience Development in Shanghai’s New Energy Vehicle Sector,” “Research on the Development and Patterns of Counter-Growth Industries in Major European and American Economies and Their Core Cities During Economic Downturns,” and “The Impact of Green Supply Chain Value Restructuring on Global Foreign Direct Investment: A Case Study of Shanghai.”