Our Team

Gabrielle Harris

Executive Director
Country Development Expert
Business Development Services Expert
Gabrielle Harris is an expert in Chinese development issues and Business Development Services for entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs.  She is currently the Executive Director of PlaNet Finance China. Since she joined PlaNet Finance in 2005, she has designed and directed several development projects with microfinance components, in both rural and urban China. Gabrielle is currently involved in projects related to renewable energy, entrepreneurial training at the municipal level, and ecotourism in Western China.  Her team of experts is also working with medium-sized banks seeking to begin delivery of micro loans to the SME market.  She works with donors like JP Morgan, Credit Suisse, the European Commission, Qualcomm, China Unicom, and Lafarge. Before starting her new career in microfinance, Gabrielle Harris established and ran her own joint venture company, Beijing Han-Link Crafts Company Ltd, which was involved in the design, manufacture and marketing of designer cultural silver jewelry and gifts.   Prior to this entrepreneurial work, she was Chief Representative for the high-profile consulting company Kamsky Associates (美国甘维珍咨询有限公司) where she managed a local team. Gabrielle has also worked as Director of Publication and Research for International Data Corporation, where she wrote the first market study on Bank Automation in China (1988).  Her first job was as a trade reporter for China Sources of Trade Media (now known as GlobalSources), conducting reporting missions all over China from 1982 to 1986. Gabrielle studied at the School of Oriental & African Studies, London University, and holds a BA Honors Degree in Chinese. She later pursued postgraduate studies in Modern History at Nanjing University.

Elaine Chou

Director of Administration and Finance
Elaine Chou joined PlaNet Finance China in August 2009. In PlaNet Finance's China office, Elaine is in charge of the finances, administration, and of streamlining human resources processes. She is also part of the new PlaNet Finance China technical assistance consulting team that was formed in the summer of 2009, with a focus on improving financial reporting, cash flow forecasting and profitability analysis. Prior to joining PlaNet Finance China, Elaine was an Investment Banking Analyst at Greenhill & Co. in New York, where she specialized in merger and acquisitions, and restructurings. As an analyst, her responsibilities included financial modeling and forecasting, creating Management presentations, conducting research, general financial analysis and assisting in recruiting and training new analysts. Elaine graduated magna cum laude from New York University where she studied Economics, Psychology and Business.

Han Li

Rural Microfinance Consultant
Since she joined in PlaNet Finance China office in early 2003, Han Li has already lead several training missions to provide training and capacity building to microfinance institutions in Guangxi, Hebei, Tianjin, Fujian, Jilin and Shaanxi provinces through cooperation with Chinese key microfinance players, CASS, CICETE, CRTDC, CFPA, Tianjin Women's Federation and Mercy Corps. She also paticipate in Qualcomm's CSR project, Asia Invest project and the European Commission's Tongwei project. She has worked closely with microfinance experts to develop a set of microfinance training modules that include basic microfinance knowledge to monitoring and evaluation courses. She was also in charge of the training department and Rural Technology Learning Centers sponsered by Microsoft. In this project, she helped CFPA to deliver IT trainings to local microfinance staff, and helped the CFPA microfinance management team go to Europe to establish a long-term relationship with European potential investors. Before she joined PlaNet Finance, she worked for a media group and was in charge of a specialized guild and CEO forum, which invites CEOs and COOs to a round table discussion on finance and management issues. Before that, she was a geography teacher. Han Li graduated from University of International Business and Economics.  She is now pursuing a Master's degree in Finance. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Foreign Trade English.

Liu Li

Manager of Banking Projects

In early 2009, Liu Li joined PlaNet Finance China and assumed the role of Manager of Banking Projects. She is specifically in charge of overseeing our project with Harbin Bank’s SME Department. Liu Li joined PF China’s team with a deep theoretical and practical background in China’s banking and microfinance industries. Liu Li worked with the Bank of China for seven years and then studied abroad in Germany for seven years. She also worked with Shanghai International Banking and Finance Institute where she was appointed to a high-level management position. Her responsibilities included researching China’s microfinance market, cooperative microinsurance projects between Chinese and foreign institutions and experts, the development and management of microcredit and microinsurance services, as well as the creation of training courses. She also assumed the position of the local expert in the China SME Loan Program sponsored by KFW Bankengruppe. Liu Li is proficient in Chinese, German, and English.

Zhang Han

Microfinance Consultant
Justin joined PlaNet Finance China in 2003.  First, he served as an information officer being in charge of China Microfinance Web Portal (similar to MIX market). From 2005, he co-organized microfinance trainings and got involved in several TA programs in China. In 2006, he participated to MicroCred Mexico’s 5-months intensive training. Afterwards, he came back to China and has been working as a consultant for MicroCred Nanchong, where he was in charge of operations implementation (policies adaptations, recruitment, Loan staffs, senior and middle management training, branch management, operations diagnosis and suggestion).  Justin also was a key member of the diagnostic team for Harbin city commercial bank downscaling program. Justin has a deep knowledge of operations in microfinance in the Chinese context. He is very familiar with all the players in all parts of China, and well versed in the history of recent changes in the infrastructure structure of the China market for small- and micro-loans. Justin has worked in urban and rural contexts on both collateralized and non-collateralized loan systems. Justin is a graduate from the People’s University of China from where he obtained a bachelor degree in Business and Administration.

Alison Schmidt

Deputy Project Manager

Alison Schmidt joined PlaNet Finance China in March 2009. Currently deputy to Gabrielle Harris, she is focused on managing the implementation of the Tongwei II Project: Rural Isolation to Market Integration. Alison graduated in 2008 from Trinity College in Hartford, CT with a major in International Studies. She has a deep interest in China’s rural areas, especially in the identity and experience of Chinese women- a main focus of her undergraduate thesis. Alison has continued to pursue related research since her return to Beijing and looks for any opportunity to spend time in rural China.

Lisa Meng (Meng Lingxue)

Office Manager
Lisa Meng joined the Planet Finance China team in December 2004. She is mainly responsible for the daily office operations, administrative and financial claims and PFC financial reporting. Between 2005-2009, she was responsible for the Urban CTLC project, her work included regular funding for the partners and auditing financial reports. Lisa majored in International Finance, and she also has a strong interest in the Chinese economy and microfinance.

Katy Wang

Communications & Development Officer
Katy joined PlaNet Finance China in November 2009, first as an intern and now as the Communications & Development Officer. Her main responsibilities include website maintenance and internal and external communications. She graduated from McGill University (Montreal, Canada) in 2008 with a Bachelors of Commerce degree majoring in finance. Katy developed a passion for non-profit work since University and is interested in the development and sustainability of the microfinance sector in China. 
swang@mfchina.cn