Hollywood producer and former Academy president to lead organization at pivotal moment for Asian American leadership and U.S.-China relations
NEW YORK – Committee of 100 today named Janet Yang, former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and an award-winning film producer, as its new board chair. Yang, a C100 member since 1998, assumes the role as the organization advances its work on Chinese American leadership, public understanding, and U.S.-China people-to-people engagement.
Yang’s appointment signals C100’s commitment to a vision of Chinese American life defined by full contribution, not quiet acceptance. She executive-produced “The Joy Luck Club” and “Over the Moon,” and brought Chinese directors to U.S. screens, proving – long before it was fashionable – that people can connect with universal stories across cultures.
Born in Queens to Chinese parents, she majored in Chinese at Brown University and earned an MBA from Columbia University. As a young studio executive with experience working in China, she secured government permits for Steven Spielberg’s “Empire of the Sun” when few others could navigate that terrain. As three-term Academy president—the first Asian American to hold that office—she expanded international membership.
“Government-to-government relations fluctuate. What stabilizes them over time is the web of human connections underneath,” said Yang. “One of my greatest privileges at the Academy was bringing film artists from all over the world together for the Oscars and seeing them connect over their shared passions, whatever the differences between their countries.”
Fluctuations in U.S.-China relations impact Chinese Americans, who were targeted by anti-Asian attacks during the pandemic, and have been falsely accused of espionage. C100, founded by architect I.M. Pei, musician Yo-Yo Ma and other prominent Chinese Americans in 1990, exists to challenge the treatment of Chinese Americans as foreigners rather than full participants in American life.
“Chinese Americans have always contributed to this country at the highest levels—as entrepreneurs, business leaders, scientists, public servants, and artists,” C100 President Paul Cheung said. “Janet’s leadership will help us take more ownership of our narrative than ever before, so the next generation of Chinese American leaders can contribute fully and freely to American society.”
Most recently, C100 founding member Oscar Tang served as executive producer on the viral music video of Laufey’s “Madwoman,” an all-Asian and Asian American production directed by Taiwanese American filmmaker Warren Fu. The project reflects the organization’s belief that shared cultural experience is a path to mutual understanding.
“I’ve spent my career watching what happens when people encounter a story that isn’t their own and recognize themselves in it anyway,” said Yang, a co-founder of Gold House, a platform for Asian American cultural leaders. “I want C100 to keep elevating those stories and develop leaders who have empathy, passion, and clarity of purpose.”
Yang succeeds Gary Locke, the former U.S. Ambassador to China and Governor of Washington state, who led C100 for five years. During Locke’s tenure, C100 strengthened its governance framework, expanded professional staffing, and implemented enhanced conflict-of-interest and disclosure standards to ensure the organization remains independent, transparent, and accountable in a changing environment.
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About Committee of 100
Committee of 100 empowers Chinese Americans and bridges America and China, leading with vision and purpose. For over 30 years, we have been the preeminent non-profit leadership organization of distinguished Chinese Americans, advancing full participation in American society and constructive U.S.-China relations through groundbreaking research, policy analysis, leadership development and civic engagement. Learn more at committee100.org.
