CALB (China Aviation Lithium Battery Technology) Company Limited Detailed Research Report ,Management and Leadership

CALB’s leadership team blends experience from the high-tech manufacturing sector and a vision for aggressive growth.
The company was originally founded in 2007 with ties to the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), which influenced its name (China Aviation Lithium Battery).
However, the current corporate entity, CALB Group Co., Ltd., has evolved with diverse ownership (including public shareholders after its IPO) and professional management.
The Chairwoman and CEO of CALB is Ms. Liu Jingyu (劉靜瑜). She has led the company since 2018en.invest.calb-tech.com and is the key architect of its strategy.
Liu Jingyu brought over 18 years of management experience from Tianma Microelectronics, a Shenzhen-listed display panel manufacturer, where she served as Director and General Manageren.invest.calb-tech.com.
At Tianma, she gained extensive international business experience (including overseeing subsidiaries in Europe, US, Japan, etc.) and was involved in M&A activitiesen.invest.calb-tech.com.
Under her leadership, CALB has pursued rapid expansion and innovation. She spearheaded CALB’s successful Hong Kong IPO in 2022, raising about US$1.26 billion to fund expansionbatterytechonline.com.
Liu has articulated the goal of becoming a global top-3 EV battery supplier by 2027batterytechonline.com and has prioritized scaling production, deepening R&D capabilities, and entering overseas markets.
She has been recognized with various local honors for her leadership and contributions to industryen.invest.calb-tech.com.
Supporting Liu is a team of seasoned executives:
- Dr. Pan Fangfang (潘芳芳) – Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO).
Aged 37, Dr. Pan joined CALB in 2015 and became CTO in 2019en.invest.calb-tech.com. She oversees R&D, intellectual property, and quality controlen.invest.calb-tech.com.
With over a decade of battery research experience, she previously led battery materials and design teams at CALB’s Luoyang divisionen.invest.calb-tech.com.
Under Dr. Pan’s direction, CALB has developed the OS platform, new cell chemistries, and secured thousands of patents. Her technical leadership ensures CALB’s innovation pipeline (such as next-gen batteries) keeps flowing. - Mr. Xie Qiu (謝秋) – Vice President (Sales & Product, EV batteries).
Xie is responsible for sales and product development for CALB’s automotive battery businessen.invest.calb-tech.com.
He has been with CALB since 2015 and was promoted to VP in 2021en.invest.calb-tech.com. Xie manages relationships with automakers and leads the customization of battery solutions for various vehicle platforms.
His role is crucial in capturing new contracts and maintaining customer satisfaction, especially as CALB expands to more OEMs domestically and abroad. - Ms. Gao Yan (高艳) – Vice President and Financial Controller.
Gao joined in 2020 and oversees the finance department and human resourcesen.invest.calb-tech.com.
She came from Tianma Microelectronics’ finance teamen.invest.calb-tech.com, bringing strong experience in financial management.
Gao ensures CALB’s large-scale investments and operations are financially sustainable, handling fundraising, budgeting, and cost control. - Mr. Wang Xiaoqiang (王小强) – Vice President (Manufacturing & EHS).
Wang, 37, has been with CALB since 2015 and took on the VP role in charge of manufacturing and environmental safety in 2021en.invest.calb-tech.com.
He oversees production across plants, applying his background in process engineering and plant management to scale up CALB’s output while maintaining safety and efficiency. - Mr. He Fan (何凡) – Vice President (Engineering & Infrastructure).
He joined in 2018 and manages engineering construction for new facilitiesen.invest.calb-tech.com.
With prior experience in factory construction at Tianmaen.invest.calb-tech.com, He Fan leads the rapid buildout of CALB’s gigafactories (site selection, construction, and commissioning). - Mr. Dai Ying (戴颖) – Executive Director & Joint Company Secretary, VP (Capital Operations).
Dai has been VP since 2019, focusing on investments, financing, and capital operationen.invest.calb-tech.com.
He played a key role in the IPO process (having served as board secretary) and continues to manage investor relations and strategic investments.
This core team, many of whom have worked together at Tianma or within CALB for years, gives the company a strong foundation in large-scale manufacturing and corporate governance.
Their collective experience from outside the battery industry (notably in electronics/displays) has helped CALB implement best practices in mass production, supply chain management, and quality assurance.
Management’s strategy revolves around long-term growth and innovation, tempered by pragmatic market adjustments. On one hand, CALB’s leadership emphasizes “steadfast long-termism” – investing in R&D and capacity ahead of demand to secure future positionchinaventure.com.cn.
On the other, they are keenly aware of market realities like the need for competitive pricing and partnering with key customers. CALB’s executives openly acknowledge the current industry situation of excess capacity and fierce competition, which they frame as a catalyst for weeding out weaker playersfinance.sina.cnfinance.sina.cn.
The CEO has expressed that only through survival of the fittest will the industry progress, indicating CALB’s determination to be among the survivors and winnersfinance.sina.cn.
A critical aspect of CALB’s strategy under Liu Jingyu is customer diversification and globalization. Having one major client (GAC Aion) contribute nearly 30% of revenue in recent years is a double-edged swordchinaventure.com.cn.
When GAC decided to build its own battery factory (Inpai Battery), it posed a significant threat to CALB’s volumechinaventure.com.cn. CALB’s response has been to secure other big clients and reduce reliance on any single OEM.
The 2024 results show progress: new business with Xpeng, Geely, Changan, etc., and breaking into hybrids and international marquesacnnewswire.comacnnewswire.com. The management’s move to pursue nominations with global automakers and to build an EU plant further exemplify this hedging strategy.
Patent strategy and R&D: CALB’s leadership has built an extensive IP portfolio as both an offensive and defensive tool.
With ~3800 patents (covering cell chemistry, structure, BMS, manufacturing processes, etc.)sohu.com, CALB aims to avoid litigation traps and differentiate its products. Notably, the company had been involved in patent disputes with CATL in the past (CATL filed lawsuits in 2021 alleging infringement), but these were reportedly settled in 2022, allowing CALB to proceed with its IPO.
The management continues to invest heavily in R&D – in 2024, R&D expenses were RMB 1.418 billion (~5% of revenue)finance.sina.com.cn, funding projects from advanced materials to AI-driven battery management. CALB also collaborates in industry alliances (like the All-Solid-State Battery Innovation Platform launched in Jan 2024batterytechonline.com) and with academic institutions to stay on the cutting edge.
Partnerships and customers: The executive team has forged strategic partnerships in both automotive and energy sectors.
Beyond automakers, CALB’s partnership with Sungrow for ESS projects is a prime example of leveraging complementary strengths (Sungrow’s system integration and CALB’s cells)ess-news.com.
CALB is also exploring collaborations in emerging areas such as battery swapping networks and second-life battery recycling, aligning with trends in the EV ecosystem.
In terms of customer composition, management has transitioned CALB from relying on a couple of Chinese OEMs to supplying a multi-dimensional client base (startups, state-owned, joint-ventures, commercial vehicles, overseas)acnnewswire.comacnnewswire.com. This breadth will be crucial for stability as the market evolves.
ESG and corporate governance: Under Liu’s leadership, CALB has elevated ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) considerations to the board level.
The Board of Directors (particularly the Audit Committee) is tasked with overseeing ESG strategy and implementationinvest.calb-tech.com.
CALB publishes annual ESG reports and has set up training to raise ESG awareness among employeesinvest.calb-tech.com. Environmentally, the company commits to green manufacturing – for example, aiming for carbon-neutral operations at the new Portugal plant and improving energy efficiency at existing factories.
It also considers the social impact, creating thousands of jobs in new plants and investing in local communities, and ensures supply chain responsibility (ethical sourcing of raw materials, etc.).
Governance-wise, as a publicly listed company, CALB has introduced independent directors and follows Hong Kong Exchange governance standards, which brings transparency and checks and balances (a shift from its state-linked origins).
In conclusion, CALB’s management is steering the company through a pivotal expansion phase. The team’s blend of industry expertise, strategic vision, and adaptive tactics has positioned CALB as a formidable contender in the global battery arena.
They are aware of the challenges – from dominant competitors to shifting customer loyalties – and are responding with technological innovation, capacity growth, and international outreach. The next few years will test CALB’s ability to execute on its plans, but its leadership has laid a solid groundwork to achieve the company’s ambitions of sustainable, global growth.