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McDonald's China founding member joins Hong Kong-listed winery Yiyuan as executive director
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Yiyuan Wine Industry, a Hong Kong-listed wine company, has appointed Zhong Caimin and Ma Li as executive directors as it transitions into a comprehensive alcohol platform. Zhong Caimin, a veteran investor in the fast-food chain industry and a founding member of McDonald's China, brings expertise in chain operations, standardized replication, and food-service channel expansion. Yiyuan stated his experience will help standardize its terminal network and facilitate partnerships with restaurant chains to promote wine-and-dining integration. Ma Li has over 20 years of experience in industrial investment, capital markets, and asset management, having worked at companies including Tainhong Holdings, Pacific Securities, Sunac China, China Foods, and Legend Holdings. In late 2025, Yang Lingjiang, founder of major alcohol chain 1919, acquired a 73.63% stake in Yiyuan, becoming its controlling shareholder and driving a shift from a single wine producer to a multi-brand alcohol platform under a CBF (Consumer-Channel-Production) strategy. Yiyuan has registered several subsidiaries including Yiniang, Yijiu, Yilian, Yiwang, Yidian, and Yishu to handle brewing, brand operations, supply chain, terminal operations, e-commerce, and data services.
Source report
Following its strategic shift toward becoming a comprehensive liquor platform, Hong Kong-listed YiYuan Wine has added two senior executives to its core management team.
According to the company's latest announcement, Zhong Caimin and Ma Li have been appointed as executive directors of YiYuan Wine.
About Zhong Caimin
Zhong Caimin is a seasoned investor in the chain restaurant industry with over 30 years of experience in chain operations and standardized management. He is:
- One of the founding members of McDonald's China
- A key contributor to the establishment of McDonald's China's operational and training systems
- A lead or co-investor in several notable food and beverage companies, including:
- Little Pig Charlie
- Fujian Wallace Food Co., Ltd.
- Country Style Cooking International Fast Food Chain Co., Ltd.
- Atlantic Future Food (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd.
- Global Food Hong Kong Co., Ltd.
In 2010, Country Style Cooking was listed on the New York Stock Exchange, becoming the first Chinese fast-food chain to go public in the U.S. At that time, Zhong served as a director of the company.
YiYuan Wine told 21st Century Business Herald that Zhong's expertise in chain enterprise operations, standardized store replication, and foodservice channel development will help standardize YiYuan's terminal network, facilitate partnerships with restaurant chains, expand foodservice channels, and promote the integration of dining and wine consumption.
About Ma Li
Ma Li brings over 20 years of experience in industrial investment, capital markets, and asset management. He has previously led investment operations at companies including:
- Telling Telecommunication Holding Co., Ltd.
- Pacific Securities Co., Ltd.
- Sunac China Holdings Limited
- China Foods Limited
- Legend Holdings Corporation
Background: New Controlling Shareholder and Strategic Direction
At the end of 2025, Yang Lingjiang, founder of leading liquor chain "1919," acquired a 73.63% stake in YiYuan Wine, becoming the actual controller of the Hong Kong-listed wine company. Following this development, YiYuan's share price once surged by more than tenfold.
Under Yang's leadership, YiYuan Wine has established a CBF (Consumer C, Channel B, Production F) development path, aiming to transform from a single wine producer into a comprehensive liquor platform.
In the first half of this year, YiYuan Wine has already built its platform structure, registering several subsidiaries including:
- YiNiang – wine production
- YiJiu – brand operations
- YiLian – supply chain trading
- YiWang – terminal operations
- YiDian – e-commerce
- YiShu – data and information services
Source
21世纪经济报道Eastern