Ziyang David Fan is the inaugural Executive Director of the Institute for California AI Policy (ICAP), a newly launched initiative under the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG). In this role, he leads the organization’s mission to position California as the global standard-setter for responsible and innovative artificial intelligence policy. With a background spanning technology, government, and international institutions, Fan brings more than two decades of experience in building cross-sector coalitions and shaping emerging technology governance at state, federal, and global levels.

Prior to joining SVLG, Fan served as Head of International Government Relations Policy at PayPal, where he played a key part in shaping the company’s AI policy strategy and governance efforts across global markets. He led the effort to develop enterprise-wide responsible AI frameworks and engage with regulatory bodies from California to G7 to the OECD on the future of financial innovation and AI.

Fan was previously a founding executive at the World Economic Forum’s Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where he helped grow the organization from its inception into a global platform spanning five continents. He co-led the Digital Currency Governance Consortium and launched several public-private initiatives focused on the digital economy and AI. Earlier in his career, Fan built Airbnb’s legal and regulatory operations across Asia, and held senior legal roles at the U.S. Trade and Development Agency and the International Monetary Fund.

A recognized thought leader in emerging technology policy, Fan has published in outlets such as Harvard Business Review and Forbes, testified before national legislatures including the UK Parliament, and spoken at global forums including Davos, Chatham House, and the WTO. He has served on the AI Ethics Board of Hayden AI and continues to teach graduate-level courses on tech policy and AI governance at UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy.

Fan holds a law degree from The George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He resides in the Bay Area with his family.