2017 AUTOMOTIVE NEWS ALL-STAR AWARDS

Li Shufu has made Zhejiang Geely Holding Group a true mover and shaker on the global stage, a first for a Chinese car manufacturer. He didn't do it with the flagship Geely brand but by leveraging the company's expanding network of overseas operations.

As the owner of Volvo, Zhejiang Geely brought the Swedish marque back from the brink and helped it rebrand itself on the cutting edge of autonomous driving. Volvo is now exporting from China to the U.S. and has refashioned its image as a maker of stylish crossovers.

Geely also plunged ahead with new business models by launching, entirely from scratch, Lynk & CO, a new brand for electrified mobility on a subscription model without dealers. What's more, Li went on an international acquisition binge, announcing plans to have Zhejiang Geely buy stakes in struggling U.K. sports car maker Lotus and Malaysian carmaker Proton.

Li, 54, took huge strides toward his goal of creating a portfolio of international brands at different price points, while taking a Chinese carmaker into the global big leagues.