Have you heard of Stella Li? Well, she is the Executive Vice President of BYD and she was just named ‘World Car Person of the Year 2025’.

As the architect of BYD’s thriving expansions in the United States and Latin America, Li successfully launched BYD in the America, first in Chicago. Li oversaw the successful openings of BYD’s electric bus, truck, and energy module factories in Lancaster, California in 2013. Under Li’s leadership, BYD achieved exponential market growth, developed invaluable partnerships, and became a dominant global force across multiple industries around the globe.

In 2021, Li was recognized by Forbes China on its “Most Powerful Women,” “60 Outstanding Chinese in North America,” and “Women in Tech” lists. She was recognized in 2018 as one of the “Women of the Year” in California and won the Project Sunshine “Business Leader” Award. In 2017, Li was awarded US-China Business Leadership Award by the US-China Policy Foundation.

This is a global automotive award and it recognises her role in guiding the BYD automotive brand through a landmark period of global growth, innovation and industry influence.

This honour reflects not only Stella Li’s vision and leadership, but also the work of 110,000 BYD R&D engineers driving breakthroughs in electric and Super Hybrid DM-i technology which is helping bring sustainable mobility to more people around the world.

This recognition marked a proud milestone for BYD and its impact on the global automotive industry.

• Xataka Legend 2025: Awarded for her leadership in global electric mobility and her role in guiding BYD’s innovation.
• TIME100 Climate: Recognised in late 2023 by TIME magazine as one of the most influential leaders driving climate action globally.
• Global Expansion: She established BYD’s first overseas office in Hong Kong (1997), followed by European headquarters in Rotterdam (1999) and North American headquarters in Los Angeles (2011).

Her Key Responsibilities At BYD

• Overseas Growth: Li oversees BYD’s international operations, including the rapid expansion of EV sales in Europe and the Americas.
• Manufacturing Strategy: She managed the opening of BYD’s electric bus and truck factories in Lancaster, California (2013) and continues to spearhead local production initiatives in regions like Brazil, Hungary, and Thailand to deepen market penetration.
• Brand Diversification: She is currently leading the launch of BYD’s luxury brands, such as Denza, in European markets.

Her Career And Education Background

• Education: She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Fudan University in 1992.
• Early Career: Before joining BYD in 1996 as a marketing manager, she worked at Global Sources, a B2B media company.
• Personal Philosophy: Li is a strong advocate for sustainable mobility and women’s leadership in the technology and automotive sectors