Ren Jianxin (businessman)

Ren Jianxin
Born	January 1958 (age 59) Lanzhou, Gansu, China
Occupation	Businessman
Known for	Founding ChemChina

Ren Jianxin (Chinese: 任建新; pinyin: Rén Jiànxīn; born January 1958) is a Chinese entrepreneur who is the founding president of the state-owned China National Chemical Corporation (ChemChina), the 265th largest company of the Fortune Global 500. He founded Bluestar, a small solvents factory, in 1984, and created ChemChina by taking control of more than 100 troubled factories from the government, which retains ownership.

Ren Jianxin was born January 1958 in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, of Hebei ancestry. During the Cultural Revolution, he worked as a sent-down youth in Dunhuang from 1974 to 1975. From 1975 to 1984 worked at Lanzhou Chemical Machinery Research Institute. He obtained a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from China Central Radio and TV University (now Open University of China). In 1994, he earned a master's degree in business administration from the department of economics at Lanzhou University.

In 1984, Ren used a loan of RMB ¥10,000 to start Bluestar Company (蓝星公司), an industrial solvents factory, together with seven young employees. It later became China National Bluestar (Group) Company, a joint venture with the Blackstone Group.

Starting in 1996, Ren created the ChemChina empire by taking control of more than 100 troubled chemical factories all over China, which remained government-owned. His management style was to keep lay-offs at a minimum by shifting workers to the company's Malan Noodle restaurant chain, and to modernize by bringing in outside consultants. In May 2004, after the State Council of China approved a merger of companies formerly under the Ministry of Chemical Industry as the China National Chemical Corporation (ChemChina), Ren Jianxin became its President. Since December 2014 he has been Chairman of the Board.

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