LinkedIn plans to tap into the Chinese market

It looks like LinkedIn will soon make a concrete move into China as it revealed today that it has appointed Derek Shen, the founder and former CEO of Chinese Groupon-like group-buying site Nuomi, as the president of LinkedIn China. LinkedIn does not have a presence in China with a localized language site, but the service already has more than four million members in the country, the company says.

LinkedIn has appointed its first China chief, as it eyes an official launch in the market, according to South China Morning Post. The professional networking site hired Derek Shen, former CEO of group-buying site Nuomi, as country president. He will be based in Beijing and also carry the title of vice president at LinkedIn, said the report. “Derek’s extensive experience in the China Internet space positions him well to lead our efforts to explore what makes the most sense for LinkedIn, our members and clients in China,” LinkedIn spokesperson, Hani Durzy, told MarketWatch.