Peggy Cherng
About Peggy Cherng
Peggy Cherng is cofounder and co-CEO of Panda Express, the $6.7 billion (est. sales) Chinese fast-food chain with some 2,600 locations.
Born in Myanmar, Cherng got a Ph.D. in electrical engineering in the U.S., then went to work for 3M and McDonnell Douglas, where she helped design battlefield simulators for the U.S. Navy.
She left her engineering career to help her husband, Andrew Cherng, open Panda Express' first location in a Glendale, California, shopping mall in 1983.
She implemented the company's sales and analytics software, earlier than many other restaurants, helping make Panda Express the dominant player among Asian limited-service chains in America.
In 2018, the Cherngs invested in a group that bought the Mandarin Oriental hotel, now the Waldorf Astoria, in Las Vegas for $214 million.
Personal stats
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United States of AmericaSource of wealth
Fast foodResidence
Las Vegas, NevadaMarital status
MarriedBirth date
12/18/47 (age 78)Number of children
3Education
Bachelor of Arts/Science, Oregon State University; Master of Science, University of Missouri; Ph.D, University of MissouriSelf-made
self-madePeggy Cherng’s fortune is worth
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Did you know?
The Cherngs' Panda Restaurant Group is also the sole U.S. franchisee of Japanese cheesecake chain Uncle Tetsu and runs all the Raising Cane's in Hawaii and Alaska.
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NASDAQ | EWBC-US
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