TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Model and entertainer Janet Chia (賈永婕) has been approved as the next chair of Taipei 101, reports said Friday (Aug. 23).

The iconic building, at 508 meters Taiwan’s tallest, includes both offices and a luxury shopping mall. The choice of Chia was reportedly ratified by the Cabinet Thursday (Aug. 22), as government institutions are major shareholders in the company running Taipei 101, Taipei Financial Center Corporation (TFCC).

The Ministry of Finance praised her as an expert in fashion, marketing, and business management, the Liberty Times reported. Chia is set to take office after a TFCC board meeting scheduled for Sept. 3. She will succeed a former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chang Hsueh-shun (張學舜).

After completing studies in media and broadcasting at Coventry University in the United Kingdom, Chia, 50, embarked on a career that included work as a television reporter, model, actress, and show host. 

She also managed a wedding dress business and gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic for her charity work on behalf of hospitals.