The Wanda Way ─ The Managerial Philosophy and Values of One of China's Largest Companies

The Wanda Way is the definitive account of one of China's most remarkable organizations, the Dalian Wanda Group. The Group's founder and Chairman, Wang Jianlin, turned a loan of $120,000 into a $40-billion fortune and is now Asia's wealthiest man according to Forbes. In 1988, Wang founded Dalian Wanda, a property company in the north-eastern Chinese city of Dalian, with the sole purpose to redevelop houses in China's slums. Now, Dalian Wanda is the world's largest property developer, generating revenues of $40 billion globally, and owning some 9-million square meters of investment property. In 2012 Wanda became the world's largest cinema chain operator when, in addition to owning Wanda Cinemas and the Hoyts Group, it acquired AMC Theatres. Today, the group operates three primary businesses: property, culture and finance. In The Wanda Way, Wang Jianlin provides unprecedented insight into the ethos and activities that have created the extraordinary business success that is the Wanda empire. Wang describes his managerial philosophy and the essence of his business ideas to turn Wanda into a brand that is known by everyone in the world.

Wang Jianlin was born on October 24, 1954, soon after China’s Communist revolution. He was raised in Cangxi County as the eldest of five brothers. His father was a war veteran of the Red Army and at 15 years old Wang followed in his father’s footsteps by enrolling in the People’s Liberation Army in 1970. He left the army in 1986 and formed a property company in the north-eastern city of Dalian. Today, Wang Jianlin serves as the Chairman of the Dalian Wanda Group, the world’s biggest property developer, as well as the world’s largest movie theatre operator.