Chan, with a background in Chinese coal operations as well as experience in the US, previously served as interim chief executive officer and chief operating officer for an American Stock Exchange-listed US electronics company.

He also held the seat of interim chief financial officer and chief strategist for a Hong Kong information technology firm, and was a senior financial analyst for AlliedSignal, now known as Honeywell International.

L&L chairman and chief executive officer Dickson Lee called Chan, a graduate of Columbia University and New York’s Polytechnic University, “an achiever”.

“His hands-on experience in operations and finance, as well as his bilingual and multicultural skills, are great additions to L&L's strong advisory board,” Lee said.

“Y P has extensive experience doing business in China as well as running an US-listed company. His knowledge and high level of energy will be valuable to L&L's growth in China."

Last July, US-based L&L appointed longtime international industry expert Syd Peng, another member of its advisory board, to its board of directors.

The Taiwan native has been known for decades for his expertise in longwall mining and is the chair of mining engineering at West Virginia University.

He is an expert on the Chinese coal industry, having consulted for the Chinese government on coal policy, mining safety and standards.