Sima Xiao is the Principal Chief Planner of UPIDS, China's State Council Special Allowance Expert, member of the Urban Design Committee of Science and Technology Committee under the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Executive Director of China Urban Planning Association, member of the Urban Design Committee of the China Urban Planning Society, member of Standardization Working Committee of China Urban Planning Society, Vice Director of the Three-dimensional City and Composite Building Professional Committee of China Architectural Society, member of the Shenzhen Decision-making Advisory Committee, member of the Shenzhen Urban Planning Committee, President of Shenzhen Urban Planning Society, Vice President of Shenzhen Exploration & Design Association, editorial member of "Urban Planning Forum".

As the first batch of professionals brought in by the planning department of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, Sima Xiao has been committed to urban planning, consulting and research in Shenzhen and many Chinese cities for the past 30 years. He led over more than ten major national projects and won awards for urban-rural planning and design at all levels. Being a renowned urban planning expert in China, he also won dozens of awards and authored more than 20 publications and papers. He has conducted in-depth and comprehensive research on cutting-edge topics of China's urbanization that can guide practice, and awarded titles such as "4th National Outstanding Urban Planning Science and Technology Worker", "Shenzhen Government Special Allowance Expert" and "Shenzhen Leading Talent".