SHANGHAI, China, May  20, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GDS Holdings Limited (&#34;GDS Holdings&#34;, &#34;GDS&#34; or the &#34;Company&#34;) (NASDAQ:GDS, HKEX: 9698)), a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in China,

GDS Announces Resignation and Appointment of Independent Director and Audit Committee Chair

GDS Appoints New Audit Committee Chair After Director's Resignation

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  <section data-block="information">
    <h3>Information</h3>
    <p>SHANGHAI, China, May  20, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GDS Holdings Limited (&amp;#34;GDS Holdings&amp;#34;, &amp;#34;GDS&amp;#34; or the &amp;#34;Company&amp;#34;) (NASDAQ:GDS, HKEX: 9698)), a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in China,</p>
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  <section data-block="ai-summary-paragraph">
    <h3>AI Summary</h3>
    <p>GDS Holdings has announced the resignation of independent director Lim Ah Doo and appointed Hua (Kathy) Chen as the new Audit Committee Chair. This change, effective May 20, 2026, is significant as it maintains strong corporate governance, potentially benefiting investor confidence.</p>
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  <section data-block="ai-summary-bullets">
    <h3>Key Points</h3>
    <ul><li>GDS announces resignation of independent director Lim Ah Doo, effective May 20, 2026.</li><li>Hua (Kathy) Chen appointed as new independent director and Audit Committee Chair.</li><li>Lim served a pivotal 11-year term strengthening corporate governance and audit standards.</li><li>Ms. Chen brings over 30 years of financial expertise and management experience.</li><li>Board composition continues to meet regulatory standards after these changes.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="companies-mentioned">
    <h3>Companies Mentioned</h3>
    <ul><li><strong>SB China Venture Capital (SBVC)</strong>: Kathy Chen is the CFO and Managing Partner, enhancing GDS&#039;s ties to venture capital.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="category">
    <h3>Corporate Developments</h3>
    <p>This falls under corporate developments, reflecting leadership changes that affect governance quality. Effective governance is crucial for investor confidence and long-term performance in the data center market, especially in China.</p>
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  <section data-block="market-moving">
    <h3>Market-Moving</h3>
    <ul><li>A new chairperson may inspire confidence among investors concerning governance.</li><li>Maintaining regulatory compliance could enhance stock attractiveness to institutional investors.</li><li>Experience of new director may drive strategic initiatives moving forward.</li><li>Sustained strong governance could positively influence GDS&#039;s valuation.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="key-facts">
    <h3>Key Facts</h3>
    <ul><li>Lim Ah Doo resigned effective May 20, 2026.</li><li>Hua (Kathy) Chen has over 30 years of finance experience.</li><li>GDS has a 26-year track record in high-performance data centers.</li><li>Chen previously served in senior financial roles at major firms.</li><li>Board remains compliant with NASDAQ and HKEX listing requirements.</li></ul>
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  <section data-block="trading-thesis">
    <h3>Trading Thesis</h3>
    <p>GDS is positioned for stability with new leadership; consider buying in the short term.</p>
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<link type="text/css" rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.globenewswire.com/styles/gnw_nitf.css"></link><p align="justify">SHANGHAI, China, May  20, 2026  (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GDS Holdings Limited ("GDS Holdings", "GDS" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/GDS">GDS</a>, HKEX: 9698)), a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in China, today announced that Mr. Lim Ah Doo has resigned as an independent director of the Board of Directors (the "Board") and as Chairman of the Audit Committee for personal reasons, effective May 20, 2026.</p>  <p align="justify">The Board has appointed Ms. Hua (Kathy) Chen to succeed Mr. Lim as an independent director and Chair of the Audit Committee, effective the same date.</p>  <p align="justify">Mr. Lim has served as an independent director of the Company and Chairman of the Audit Committee since August 2014. During his 11-year tenure, he played a critical role in strengthening the Company's corporate governance, financial oversight, and audit standards.</p>  <p align="justify">Ms. Chen brings over 30 years of extensive financial and operational experience. She joined SB China Venture Capital ("SBCVC") in 2010 and currently serves as Managing Partner and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining SBCVC, Ms. Chen accumulated nearly 20 years of experience in finance and accounting. She served as Director and Chief Financial Officer of Volaris Capital, a derivative products group within Credit Suisse. Earlier in her career, she was a Tax Consulting Manager at Arthur Andersen LLP and Ernst &amp; Young LLP. Ms. Chen is a Certified Public Accountant. She earned undergraduate degrees in Accounting and Finance from the NYU Stern School of Business and a Master's degree in Taxation from Fordham University. Ms. Chen served as an Independent Board Member and the Audit Committee Chair of Technovator International Ltd., a Hong Kong Exchange listed company, from September 2011 to May 2023. Since September 2010, she has also served as a Board Member of the China Venture Capital Finance Organization (CVCFO), a non-profit association of finance professionals in venture capital and private equity firms across the Greater China region. Ms. Chen is a U.S. Certified Public Accountant.</p>  <p align="justify">The Board confirms that Ms. Chen meets the independence criteria under the applicable listing rules of NASDAQ and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, as well as the relevant requirements for serving as a member and chair of the Audit Committee. Following these changes, the composition of the Board and its committees remain in full compliance with all applicable regulatory and listing requirements.</p>  <p align="justify">"On behalf of the Board, I want to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Lim for his dedicated service and invaluable contributions to GDS. He has been a pillar of our Board for over a decade, and we wish him the very best in his future endeavours," stated Mr. William Huang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GDS. "We are also delighted to welcome Ms. Chen to the Board. We are confident that her extensive expertise will further enhance the Board's expertise and maintains its commitment to strong, independent oversight as we continue to execute our business strategy."</p>  <p align="justify"><strong>About GDS Holdings Limited</strong></p>  <p align="justify">GDS Holdings Limited (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/GDS">GDS</a>, HKEX: 9698)) is a leading developer and operator of high-performance data centers in China. The Company's facilities are strategically located across the key hubs where demand for high-performance data center services is concentrated. The Company's data centers have large net floor area, high power capacity, density and efficiency, and multiple redundancies across all critical systems. The Company is carrier and cloud-neutral, which enables its customers to access the major telecommunications networks, as well as the largest PRC and global public clouds, which are hosted in many of its facilities. The Company has a 26-year track record of service delivery, successfully fulfilling the requirements of some of the largest and most demanding customers for outsourced data center services in China. The Company's customer base consists predominantly of hyperscale cloud service providers, large internet companies, financial institutions, telecommunications carriers, IT service providers, and large domestic private sector and multinational corporations. The Company also holds a minority equity interest in DayOne Data Centers Limited, an independent Singapore-headquartered hyperscale data center platform.</p>  <p align="justify"><strong>For investor and media inquiries, please contact:</strong></p>  <p align="justify">GDS Holdings Limited<br></br>Laura Chen<br></br>Phone: +86 (21) 2029-2203<br></br>Email: <a href="mailto:ir@gds-services.com">ir@gds-services.com</a></p>  <p align="justify">Piacente Financial Communications<br></br>Ross Warner<br></br>Phone: +86 (10) 6508-0677<br></br>Email: <a href="mailto:GDS@tpg-ir.com">GDS@tpg-ir.com</a></p>  <p align="justify">Brandi Piacente<br></br>Phone: +1 (212) 481-2050<br></br>Email: <a href="mailto:GDS@tpg-ir.com">GDS@tpg-ir.com</a></p>  <p align="justify">GDS Holdings Limited</p> <img alt="" class="__GNW8366DE3E__IMG" src="https://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/ti?nf=OTcyMzgyOCM3NjEyODUyIzIwODEzMzE="></img> <br></br><img alt="" src="https://ml.globenewswire.com/media/MzhmMDFlYTItZmUzOC00ZjczLTg2ODAtNTc1ODRiYWZjZmY5LTEwOTI5MDItMjAyNi0wNS0yMC1lbg==/tiny/GDS-Holdings-Limited.png" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></img>

GDS Holdings has announced the resignation of independent director Lim Ah Doo and appointed Hua (Kathy) Chen as the new Audit Committee Chair. This change, effective May 20, 2026, is significant as it maintains strong corporate governance, potentially benefiting investor confidence.

GDS Announces Resignation and Appointment of Independent Director and Audit Committee Chair

AI Summary

Sentiment Rationale

Trading Thesis

Market-Moving

Key Facts

Companies Mentioned

Corporate Developments

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