Since joining Huawei more than 20 years ago, Meng has gone from helping out at sales exhibitions to become a central figure in the company’s leadership — though the question of whether she will eventually take over from her father remains. Despite her family’s wealth and connections, the executive has eschewed the socialite lifestyle embraced by her younger half-sister, a ballerina studying at Harvard University.
“She’s always very confident” and highly competent, said James Yan, who has met Meng at public events. The arrest and threat of sanctions are a big risk for the company in part because Meng is one of its most important executives, said the research director at Counterpoint Research, which analyzes the technology market.