Congratulations

We are thrilled to announce that Ms Joy Qiao, Founder and Chairman of Wellington College Education (China), has been honoured on Fortune China's 2025 Most Powerful Women (MPW) Future List. As the only education sector leader featured in this year's ranking, Ms Qiao embodies the vision of an entrepreneur, the passion of an educator and the acumen of an executive—her achievements continue to redefine excellence in the field.

 

 

Joy Qiao

Founder and Chairman

Wellington College Education (China)

 

 

Since 2010, the Fortune China MPW List has celebrated the influence, innovation and leadership of women shaping China's business landscape. The list is divided into two categories: The Most Powerful Women in Business, recognising established industry leaders and the Future List, highlighting trailblazing women with unlimited potential who are setting new trends. Selection criteria emphasise not only influence but also the transformative impact these leaders have on the future.

 

Ms Qiao's leadership and commitment to international education show exactly why she has received this recognition. Over the past 16 years, she has become a key figure in China's education sector. Back in 2009, she teamed up with Wellington College in the UK—founded more than 160 years ago—to set up Wellington College Education (China). Since then, the group has grown steadily, now running Wellington International Schools for expatriate families and Hiba Academy bilingual schools for local families. Today, there are six schools across Tianjin, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Nantong, with more than 5,400 pupils benefiting from a blend of Eastern and Western education.

Wellington College Tianjin

Wellington College International Shanghai

Hiba Academy Shanghai

Hiba Academy Hangzhou

Wellington College International Hangzhou

Hiba Academy Nantong

Ms Qiao grew up in Shanghai and went on to study Computer Science at the University of Oxford. Before moving into education, she worked in tech in China, the UK and Germany, which gave her a real insight into what young people need to succeed globally. 

As a parent in a Sino-British family, she's turned her own experiences into a goal: to offer a top-quality bilingual and bicultural education. Under her leadership, Wellington College Education (China) has become a leading example of collaboration between Chinese and international education. Her dual-language, dual-culture approach really speaks to what many families in China want today—an education that opens doors both at home and abroad.

 

 

Ms Qiao has always believed in the value of international education and bringing cultures together. She has worked hard to create an environment where both pupils and teachers can thrive, guided by the vision of 'pioneering education to serve and help shape a better world'. Wellington College Education (China) now employs a diverse team of over 1,400 staff from 32 countries and territories. For the fifth consecutive year, HR Asia has named Wellington College Education (China) one of the 'Best Companies to Work for in Asia'.

Under Ms Qiao's leadership, Wellington College Education (China) has become a leading example of collaboration between Chinese and international education, with former pupils going on to study at celebrated institutions like Oxford, Cambridge and Ivy League universities. In the 2024-2025 academic year, Hiba Academy Shanghai's first cohort of graduates were admitted to Stanford, Oxford, Brown and Northwestern Universities.

 

In 2024, as Wellington College International Shanghai marked its 10th anniversary, Ms Qiao led the group's first step overseas, with plans to open Hiba Academy Bay Area in Fall 2026. This will bring the group's unique Sino-British bilingual model to North America, strengthening educational ties between the US and China. 

That year, Wellington College Education (China) was also recognised with the 'Business Partnership Award' from the British Chamber of Commerce, along with several international accreditations. Furthermore, all six schools in the Wellington College Education (China) family have once again been recognised in the 2025 Forbes China International Schools Annual Selection. Through her work, Ms Qiao has helped share Chinese ideas with the world and inspired new conversations about what education can achieve.