About Charles Zhang and Lynn Chen-Zhang

 

Charles Zhang and Lynn Chen-Zhang both earned graduate degrees from Western Michigan University. Together they manage Zhang Financial, a leading, nationally ranked, fee-only wealth management firm based in Michigan. The Zhangs have generously donated more than $1 million to the Zhang Career Center in the Haworth College of Business. The Zhangs’ vision for the center is to help promote, inspire and develop professionalism in current WMU students so that they may apply knowledge in their communities, becoming leaders and innovators.

The career center is a valuable resource for students looking to improve their career readiness. The center oversees thousands of student interactions, organizes dozens of programs and hosts hundreds of employers on the WMU campus each year. Providing critical professional resources such as internships, externships and post-graduation employment opportunities for students, the center’s impact is immense and far-reaching.

“The career readiness education provided by WMU’s Zhang Career Center is a very important component of students’ education. This is where we help our students with solid first steps on their career paths and where students synthesize what they have learned into a compelling professional narrative for potential employers. Charles and I are very pleased to be able to contribute to the growth of the Haworth College of Business, and we are especially honored to be able to help prepare the next generation of business leaders to be competitive as they launch their careers.” – Lynn Chen-Zhang

Leaders in Philanthropy

With their hearts rooted in Kalamazoo, the Zhangs enjoy giving back both time and resources to their alma mater and community. In total, they have given more than $10 million to educational institutions and local nonprofit organizations. The Zhangs are supporters of many University programs, including Miller Auditorium, the Department of Economics, the Academically Talented Youth Program in the Office of Precollege Programming, the Medallion Scholarship Program, the Zhang Financial Room in Heritage Hall, and additional programs at WMU Haworth including a partnership with the Barron’s in Education Program from Dow Jones. They were also the major donors for the Zhang Legacy Collections Center, opened on WMU’s campus in 2013. Lynn Chen-Zhang serves as vice chair of the WMU Board of Trustees, and is also president of the WMU Foundation Board of Directors. Charles Zhang has served as an adjunct professor of finance at WMU. 

Learn more about the Zhangs’ philanthropy.

Leaders in Financial Advising

Charles Zhang is founder and CEO of Zhang Financial and has consistently been ranked the No. 1 financial advisor in Michigan by Barron’s and Forbes for several years. Barron’s also names Charles Zhang the No. 2 ranked advisor on its list of America’s Top 100 Independent Wealth Advisors for 2019. Additionally, Forbes names Charles Zhang the No. 6 ranked advisor on the list of America’s Top Wealth Advisors, and he is the highest ranked fee-only, National Association of Personal Financial Advisors-registered financial advisor on that list.*

Lynn Chen-Zhang serves as partner, chief operating officer and chief compliance officer with Zhang Financial. She has been recognized by Barron’s as one of the nation’s top 100 women financial advisors.* Additionally, she was named a finalist for the Lifetime Achievement Award for the 2020 Invest in Others Awards. Both Charles Zhang and Lynn Chen-Zhang are often quoted in national media sources including CNBC, the Wall Street Journal and Barron’s.

*All rankings have specific criteria and methodologies. Complete disclosures are available through Zhang Financial.