Biography

Simon Zhang is a renowned global expert in strategic positioning, and as the  CEO of Ries Consulting is the successor to Al Ries, the “father of positioning.”  

Working alongside Al Ries for many years, Simon has further refined and  advanced positioning theory to meet the needs of today’s digital-driven  economy. Simon went on to pioneer the concept and methodology of  “category creation”—a groundbreaking approach to business innovation that  moves beyond traditional strategies to develop practical models that have  helped countless companies find business success primarily through careful  brand positioning. This has helped multiple companies reach multi-billion dollar  valuations.  

Simon has been the chairman of Ries China for nearly two decades and has  served as the company’s global CEO since 2020. He has also co-authored several influential books on positioning, including Category Creation and  Positioning in the 21st Century.