Min Zhu

Min Zhu is the co-founder and former president and chief technical officer of WebEx.

Zhu received his bachelor degree from Zhejiang University. He also holds an M.S. in Engineering from Stanford University. ref|Forbes He developed his technology expertise at the IBM Scientific Center in Palo Alto, California. He was also the deputy to the chief technical officer of Price Waterhouse and the vice president of Expert Edge, a software design company. In 1991, Zhu co-founded Future Labs, one of the first companies to produce multi-point document collaboration software. Quarterdeck acquired Future Labs in 1996, and Zhu went on to co-found WebEx with Subrah Iyar.

On May 13, 2005, Zhu resigned from WebEx and left the United States. Zhu continues to serve as a science and technology advisor to the municipal government of San Jose, a member of the University of California President's Board on Science and Innovation, a board director of the Hua Yuan Science and Technology Association and a partner at New Enterprise Associates. In September 2005, NEA announced plans to back Chinese venture firm Northern Light. This venture fund is raising a first, $100 million fund this fall. NEA general partner Scott Sandell described his firm's relationship to Northern Light as akin to a "special LP," whereby Northern Light will receive part of its institutional backing from NEA and provide NEA with deal flow. The new firm, founded by Zhu along with Chinese entrepreneurs Feng Deng and Yan Ke, will share office space in China with NEA venture partner Xiaodong Jiang.

Zeleny legal dispute

On May 13, 2005, WebEx announced that Zhu was stepping down as WebEx's CTO and retiring to China, where he would serve as a "WebEx Fellow." [http://biz.yahoo.com/e/050517/webx8-k.html] This was amid a spate of lawsuits between the Zhu family, WebEx and their former business partner Michael Zeleny for various torts, including breach of contract and defamation. [http://www.sccaseinfo.org/pa5.asp?case_type=All&name_type=individual&first_name_criteria=starts&first_name=&last_name_criteria=starts&last_name=Zeleny&business_name_criteria=starts&business_name=&start_date=12%2F26%2F2000&end_date=12%2F26%2F2005&process_name=process_calendar_party&submit_button=SEARCH] In the course of these, Zeleny made public online that a complaint for childhood sexual abuse had been made by Zhu's daughter Erin Zhu, Zeleny's former domestic and business partner, and alleged that Zhu diverted WebEx assets to settle that complaint. Zhu denied these claims in court records, and WebEx sued Zeleny for defamation. [http://www.sccaseinfo.org/pa5.asp?full_case_number=1-04-CV-024062] Zeleny's claims have since been settled out of court and the WebEx counter-claim dropped.

References

# "Forbes" [http://www.forbes.com/lists/2004/11/04/cz_rf_1104zhu.html Rice Fields Yield Internet Riches] Russell Flannery, 11/04/2004

External links

* [http://uc-industry.berkeley.edu/contact/presboard.htm University of California President's Board on Science and Innovation listing]
* [http://www.webex.com/pr/pr340.html WebEx press release concerning Zhu's resignation from WebEx and his departure from the U.S.A.]