Richard Yan

Despite disruptions to his early education in China due to the Cultural Revolution, in 1981 Richard Yan was offered the opportunity to become the first Chinese secondary student to obtain a Rotary Scholarship to study English in Auckland.

His time at the Auckland Grammar School led to both a New Zealand Bursary and a Singapore Lee Foundation Scholarship. Richard chose to continue his New Zealand education at the University of Auckland. Upon graduation in 1985, he became the first student in the history of the University of Auckland to earn two degrees in only three years.

Richard found New Zealand "an easy place for a student to assimilate into and get along with the people. Being part of my 'families' was one of the most valuable parts of my NZ experience."

Richard's New Zealand education gave Richard skills to grow his international career and later enter the Harvard Business School & MBA programme - in his own words, "excellent foundation building...one that gave the basis for seeking further studies in the United States."

Following his New Zealand studies, Richard joined the Westpac Bank Corporation in Sydney, working in areas of merchant banking. In 1986, Westpac awarded him a scholarship to study at Harvard.

In 1993, Richard Yan established the Richina Group of companies. The Richina Group aims to raise and apply international capital in building a diversified portfolio of businesses.

Eleven years after his Auckland graduation, Richard was the recipient of a Distinguished Alumni award from the University of Auckland, an award that honours alumni who have made outstanding contributions through their professional achievements to their communities, and to New Zealand.