Ed Zhao is a transformative leader with more than 25 years of experience spanning chemical innovation, industrial manufacturing, and global business growth. As Senior Vice President and Asia Managing Director at Milliken & Company, he has guided the Asia Pacific region through more than a decade of rapid expansion and strategic transformation, helping establish Asia as the company’s most profitable region.

Under Ed’s leadership, Milliken’s Asia business grew fourfold in revenue and fifteenfold in EBIT between 2011 and 2024. He has successfully led multiple acquisitions and integrations across the region, including Polartec, Borchers, and Encapsys, while overseeing Milliken’s first regional headquarters and innovation center outside the United States. Known for developing strong local teams and empowering regional leadership, Ed has been instrumental in advancing Milliken’s sustainability and circular economy initiatives across Asia.

Earlier in his career, Ed served as Global Director of Development and Regional Director for North Asia at Milliken Chemical, where he helped commercialize groundbreaking additive technologies, including Millad NX 8000 and Hyperform, and led global R&D teams to multiple patent and innovation awards.

Ed holds a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a B.S. in Polymer Chemistry from the University of Science and Technology of China. He has also completed executive programs at Stanford University, Kellogg School of Management, and Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business.