Dr. Charles Zhang is the founder,Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of SOHU.COM. Prior to founding SOHU, Dr. Zhang worked for Internet Securities Inc. (ISI) and helped establish its China operations. Prior to joining ISI, he worked as Massachusetts Institute of Technology's liaison officer with China. Dr. Zhang has a Ph.D degree in experimental physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science degree from Qinghua University in Beijing.

In October 1998, Dr. Charles Zhang was named by Time Digital as one of the world's top fifty digital elite. He has been recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Global Leader of Tomorrow. Dr. Zhang regularly participates in leading international conferences, including the Fortune Global 500 Forum, Fortune Magazine roundtables, and World Economic Forum meetings. In July 2001 Charles Zhang co-lead an executive delegation to support Beijing's successful 2008 Olympic bid at the112th International Olympic Committee in Moscow. In December 2001, he joined the International Advisory Board of the Pew Global Attitudes Survey as an inaugural member upon the invitation by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, who chairs the project. In March 2003 Charles Zhang became a member of All-China Federation Of Industry & Commerce. In May 2003 Charles Zhang joined the SOHU-sponsored China Mount Everest team to a height of 6,666 meters in an expedition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the tallest mountain's human conquest. In July 2003 Time Magazine featured Charles Zhang as one of 15 Global Tech Gurus.In September 2003, BusinessWeek listed Dr.Zhang as one of 25 global E-biz CEOs. In July 2005, Dr. Zhang was selected as the Executive committee member and deputy director of Press & Publication Committee of the National Youth Association's 10th Committee. In November 2005, Dr. Zhang led Sohu's efforts in winning the Internet Content Service Sponsorship role for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.