Kevin Y. Chen Consultant Beijing Office, Aviation Practice

Kevin Chen joined GCW Consulting in 2005, and is assisting the firm in a number of strategic aviation projects in the People’s Republic of China, including a major Yangtze River Delta aviation infrastructure program.

An avid aviation enthusiast, Kevin has received his Doctorate in Air Traffic Information Engineering and Control from the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in June 2005 – thus completing 12 years of aviation study. He received a Masters in the same program in 2000 and in 1997 graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering in Aerodynamics and Flight Dynamics from Northwestern Polytechnic University in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province.

Kevin has published several technical papers in trade journals, including studies on the effects of windshear on aircraft control, and on airport capacity, particularly capacity at Beijing Capital International Airport.

During his studies, Kevin served as assistant to the CEO of ITI China Holdings, L.C., a professional firm that assists clients navigate business in the People’s Republic of China in the areas of investment banking, public relations and government affairs. Among his projects at the firm, Kevin participated in a merger and acquisition project in which industrial machinery manufacturer Caterpillar Inc. of the United States acquired China’s Shandong SEM Machinery Co. Ltd.

Previously, Kevin was a director at the Training Center of Conventional English for the Beijing New Oriental School, where he taught English and trained teachers. He also was responsible for sales and marketing of the school’s training programs, served as a government liaison and managed budgeting and human resources. At the school, Kevin was a “Star Teacher” for more than five years and received an award as “Top Performing Teacher” for 2000, and “Honor for Outstanding Contributions” for 2003.

Kevin speaks Mandarin and English.

Kevin Chen can be reached at GCW Consulting's Beijing Office via email at kevinchen@gcwconsulting.com.

Kevin was born in a small town near Chengdu, Sichuan Province, and spent part of his childhood in the Tibetan area where his father served as an army officer. Even as a kid, Kevin was greatly intrigued by all the things that could fly, and he spent a lot of time trying to figure out the reasons for flying. Probably, the Wright brothers’ Flyer One is the first thing Kevin learned about America in his reading during the childhood. Kevin was dreaming about being a pilot once, but this plan didn’t materialize due to his myopia. Thus, instead of preparing himself for the life as a pilot, Kevin decided to learn the theories of flying and help the pilots to fly more easily. And he went to Xi’an to study aerodynamics in college, at the age of 18.

Besides his enthusiasm for flying, Kevin also is a fanatic movie-goer with a huge collection of DVDs and VCDs. Among his favorites are Forrest Gump, Top Gun and the TV show West Wing. As for the actors, he likes Tom Hanks and Martin Sheen most (especially Martin Sheen as General Robert Lee in <<Gettysburg>> and as President Barlet in <<West Wing>>). Kevin also loves traveling quite a lot, and the most unforgettable places he ever visited is San Diego and Lijiang in Yunnan.

Kevin has been happily married with Jessie Li for about 5 years. Jessie is the market analyst of Northwest Airlines Beijing Office, and she has been with Northwest ever since graduating from college.