Wang Jian, the co-founder and chairman of Chinese aviation-to-finance conglomerate HNA Group, has died following an accident while on a business trip to France, the company said on Wednesday.

Mr Wang, aged 57, was a former civil aviation official and formed part of a small group that founded Hainan Airlines in the early 1990s. He held 15 per cent of the group’s shares, according to public filings. He died on Tuesday, the company said.

“HNA Group extends deepest condolences to Mr Wang’s family and many friends,” the company’s management said in a statement. “Together, we mourn the loss of an exceptionally gifted leader and role model, whose vision and values will continue to be a beacon for all who had the good fortune to know him, as well as for the many others whose lives he touched through his work and philanthropy.”