Stella Li: Pioneering Leadership in the Global Electric Vehicle Industry
Stella Li is a powerful person in the world of business. She is known for being a great leader as the Executive Vice President of BYD Company Limited and the CEO of BYD Americas. Li is a pioneer in the fields of electric vehicles (EVs) and green technology. He has helped BYD grow from a small Chinese battery maker to a global powerhouse that controls the EV market. Her story, which is full of strength, strategic vision, and a dedication to sustainability, is an inspiring one for women in business and proof of the power of cross-cultural business.
Stella Li was born in China and went to Fudan University, one of the best schools in China, where she got her Bachelor’s degree in Statistics. Her background in data and analytics gave her the analytical skills she needed to run a business, which later helped her succeed in navigating complicated global markets. Li worked at Global Sources, a business information company, before joining BYD. There, she learned a lot about international trade and marketing. This early experience gave her the skills she needed to connect people from different cultures and businesses, which would be very useful in her career.
Li started working for BYD in 1996 as a marketing manager. At first, he was in charge of selling batteries to customers outside of China. At the time, BYD was a small company that made batteries. It was a long way from the car company it would become. Li’s early work was very important because it helped the company get big contracts with global brands like Samsung, Motorola, and Nokia. Her skill at explaining technical details clearly and earning the trust of international partners helped BYD become known around the world.
Li’s success led to her being named CEO of BYD Electronics in 2007. That same year, the company went public in Hong Kong. BYD Electronics did very well under her leadership. Its stock price went from HK$10.75 at its IPO to HK$13.52 by 2015, when Li moved on to a new job. During her time at BYD Electronics, she showed that she could grow a business and deal with the challenges of running a publicly traded company.
Li became President of BYD Americas in 2010 and CEO in 2013. She was in charge of the company’s growth into the US and Latin America. She was the one who came up with the idea for BYD to build its North American headquarters in Los Angeles in 2011 and its electric bus, truck, and energy module factory in Lancaster, California, in 2013. Under her leadership, the Lancaster factory grew from six employees to 800. It made over 300 electric buses, making BYD the largest electric bus manufacturer in North America. This expansion not only created jobs, but it also got support from both parties, including U.S. House Representative Kevin McCarthy. This shows that Li can build goodwill in both the community and politics.
Li has been a great leader because she is able to see the big picture and is dedicated to making things last. She knew from the start that the future of transportation was electric, which fit with BYD’s goal to “Build Your Dreams” through new technologies that cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. Thanks to her work, BYD became the world’s top maker of electric vehicles. In the first half of 2019, the company made $8 billion in sales, up 14%, and $207 million in net profit, up 204%. BYD’s market cap is about $19 billion today, which shows how much it has grown since Li took over.
Li’s plans to grow his business around the world were smart and risky. In 1997, she opened BYD’s Hong Kong office. In 1999, she opened its European headquarters in Rotterdam. In 2000, she opened its first North American office in Chicago. These actions set the stage for BYD’s global expansion, making it a major player in the solar energy, battery storage, and electric vehicle markets. Li oversaw the launch of BYD’s luxury electric vehicle brand, Denza, in Europe in 2025. He confidently said that traditional automakers had “missed the boat” on technological advancements and that BYD’s 122,000 engineers gave it an unmatched competitive edge.
There have been problems during Li’s time in office, especially because of tensions between China and the United States. Concerns about cars made in China, such as worries that they might be able to spy on people, have made it harder for BYD to do business in the U.S. Li has dealt with these worries by looking at them from a long-term point of view and stressing the importance of honesty and openness as a publicly traded company. She said, “The U.S. investment is very strategically important,” which showed how committed she was to keeping BYD in the U.S. even though things were uncertain.
She can handle these problems because she knows a lot about the industry and can communicate well. Li has stressed how important it is to understand what the market is worried about and offer her expertise to help solve those problems. This has made her a trusted partner. She says that BYD’s success is due to its values of protecting the environment, promoting gender equality, and working together across cultures, which have struck a chord with people all over the world.
Many people praise Stella Li for what she has done. Forbes China put her on its lists of the “Most Powerful Women,” “60 Outstanding Chinese in North America,” and “Women in Tech” in 2021. The California Legislative Women’s Caucus named her one of California’s “Women of the Year” in 2018, and she also won the Project Sunshine “Business Leader” Award. The US-China Policy Foundation gave her the US-China Business Leadership Award in 2017. She was the only Chinese business representative to speak at the United Nations’ “Every Woman, Every Child” Global Strategy Conference in 2015. This shows how much power she has on the world stage.
In 2023, Fortune China named her one of China’s most powerful businesswomen. This was a fitting honor for a leader who has always pushed the limits in a field where men are in charge. As she said, her story is a “valuable lesson” for women who want to get ahead in business. It shows how important it is to be knowledgeable, communicate well, and be strong.
At 55, Stella Li is still pushing BYD’s goal of changing transportation and energy through new ideas. Not only has her leadership made BYD a world leader in the electric vehicle industry, but it has also shown what women can do in business. Li is making a future where technology and fairness go hand in hand by making workplaces more welcoming and putting sustainability first. She said at a Forbes China event that success needs more than just technology; it also needs honesty, openness, and a dedication to solving real-world problems.
Stella Li’s rise from marketing manager to global industry titan is a story of hard work, vision, and making a difference. Li is still leading the way as BYD grows, from electric buses in California to high-end electric vehicles in Europe. He is pushing the company toward a greener, more connected world. Her legacy lives on not only in the cars that BYD makes, but also in the hopes she has for a better future.
Find out about BYD’s efforts to be more environmentally friendly.
Other women in tech who run businesses