Oslo-based Opera Limited said it has appointed James Liu has to its board.
Opera is the parent company of Opera Mini, OPay and ORide which currently operates in Nigeria.
Liu who is currently the COO at Renren will serve on the Audit and Corporate Governance & Nominating Committees and is an independent director.
Opera said in a statement that Liu will bring on board over 20 years of experience with high growth internet and technology companies and currently serves as executive director and COO of Renren, a Chinese social network. Prior, Liu founded UUMe.com, one of the earliest social networking service websites in China, which was acquired by Renren.
“We are thrilled to welcome James Liu to our Board of Directors. His extensive experience in the internet space and as an entrepreneur will be an asset to Opera’s Board of Directors as we continue our efforts to expand Opera beyond the browser into one of the fastest growing global internet platforms,” said Opera’s CEO Yahui Zhou.
“It is an exciting time to be joining Opera’s board. The company is growing rapidly and has exciting opportunities to expand on its leading position in Africa with its offerings in multiple verticals including news, content and fintech, as well as its well-known browser business. I look forward to helping the company achieve its high ambitions,” said James Liu.
Before joining Renren and founding UUMe.com, Liu served as the founding product management director at the network security company Fortinet and held senior product management role at Siebel Systems. Liu started his career as a management consultant with the Boston Consulting Group in China and holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and a M.B.A. degree from Stanford University.
