Early Life
Eric Yuan was born on February 20, 1970, in Tai'an, Shandong Province, China. He is the son of geological engineers. Yuan's interest in video communication stemmed from long train rides to visit his girlfriend while in college. He earned a bachelor's degree in applied mathematics from Shandong University of Science and Technology and a master's degree in geology engineering from China University of Mining and Technology.
Rise to Success
Yuan moved to Silicon Valley in 1997 and joined the tech boom. He became one of the first 20 hires at WebEx, a web conferencing startup. After WebEx was acquired by Cisco Systems in 2007, Yuan rose to the position of Vice President of Engineering. In 2011, when Cisco rejected his idea for a new smartphone-friendly video conferencing system, Yuan decided to establish his own company, Zoom Video Communications.
Key Business Strategies
Zoom's success is rooted in its user-friendly design and focus on customer satisfaction. Yuan's leadership emphasized employee well-being, leading to a strong company culture. Zoom's growth accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic as remote work and online education became widespread. Zoom went public in 2019.
Philanthropy
In March 2021, Yuan transferred approximately $6 billion worth of shares, though specific philanthropic initiatives are not readily available. Zoom also has a charitable arm, Zoom Cares.