Mary Ma or Ma Xuezheng (1952 or 1953 – 31 August 2019) was a Chinese businesswoman and investor. She served as chief financial officer of the computer maker Lenovo, and played a key role in the company's acquisition of IBM's personal computer division in 2005. She was named by Forbes as the world's 57th most powerful woman in that year. After retiring from Lenovo in 2007, she worked in private equity and co-founded Boyu Capital, which invested in companies including Alibaba Group and Megvii.
Early life and career
Ma Xuezheng was born in 1952 or 1953. She graduated from Capital Normal University in 1976, one of the few college graduates during the Cultural Revolution. She later studied at the University of London in England.
After returning to China, she worked for 12 years at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and served as an interpreter for Chinese national leaders, including Deng Xiaoping[1]