9 Years, Wey Brand Changes 8 CEOs

Wei brand Gaoshan consecutively wins the MPV sales championship, yet rumors of a "vacation" for the Wei brand CEO emerge.

Recently, it was reported by the media that WEY, the high-end brand under Great Wall Motors, might experience another personnel shake-up. Currently, WEY's CEO, Feng Fuzhi, is in a "vacation" state. The report stated that Feng Fuzhi did not appear at the company this week and is no longer approving business matters, needing to report to the Great Wall Holdings Group at various levels. Additionally, an insider revealed that Haval's General Manager, Zhao Yongpo, will take over his position.

The Auto Commune sought confirmation from relevant personnel at Great Wall Motors and was informed that "there is no confirmation information at the moment."

According to reports, Feng Fuzhi, who joined Great Wall Motors at the end of 2023, made his first appearance as CEO at the launch event of the revamped Wei brand Lanshan on May 20 this year, having been in the position for less than a year. However, under his leadership, the Wei brand has made significant progress this year.

Data shows that in the first 11 months of 2025, Wey brand's cumulative sales reached approximately 89,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 93%, making it the fastest-growing brand within the Great Wall Motors system. Especially with the launch of the Gaoshan 7, the Wey Gaoshan series consecutively clinched the MPV sales championship. Such a performance undoubtedly injects a strong boost into a brand that was once in a slump.

However, unexpectedly, just as the sales of Weipai are climbing steadily, it has been revealed that the current CEO, Feng Fuzhi, is in a "vacation" status. Notably, if this personnel change is ultimately confirmed, it will mark the eighth CEO change for Weipai since its establishment in 2016, within just nine years.

01Sales Surge, CEO Reportedly "On Vacation"

In the second half of this year, the MPV market has seen significant changes. On one side, the Buick GL8 has made a comeback against the trend with its plug-in hybrid model, while on the other side, the Voyah Dreamer and Denza D9 have experienced fluctuations, and the Trumpchi series MPVs are collectively "sliding on their knees," making it all very eye-catching.

However, the biggest highlight is undoubtedly that the WEY Gaoshan has consecutively won the MPV sales championship.

Considering that the MPV market structure is relatively stable and it is rare for newcomers to surpass established players, the sudden surge of the Wei brand Gaoshan has left many people incredulous. From the perspective of the existing structure in the first half of the year, Sienna consistently topping the charts has become the norm, and the GL8, when accounting for both plug-in hybrid and fuel versions, also has the opportunity to challenge for the sales crown. However, not many people could have anticipated that the Wei brand Gaoshan would later rise to the top.

In September this year, Gao Shan achieved a sales figure of 8,577 vehicles, surpassing popular models such as the Toyota Sienna, Denza D9, and Buick GL8 plug-in hybrid, and secured the title of sales champion in the MPV market for the first time. However, the ranking separates the sales of the Buick GL8 and GL8 plug-in hybrid. If combined, the Buick GL8 series still holds the top position with a total of 11,683 vehicles sold.

The subsequent market performance proved that the rise of the Wei brand Gaoshan was not a flash in the pan. From September to November, Gaoshan won the MPV market sales championship for three consecutive months and became the only MPV model to exceed 10,000 units sold in November.

In the increasingly fierce competition of the MPV market, the breakthrough of the Wei Brand's Gaoshan model is evidently challenging. As a crucial piece in Wei Brand's transition towards the high-end new energy market, the Gaoshan series has carried the expectations of brand revitalization since its launch. Its success has also introduced a new growth pole to the Wei Brand's product lineup.

At the same time, driven by the Gaoshan series, the WEY brand has also made significant progress this year, with sales reaching nearly 90,000 units in the first 11 months, a year-on-year increase of 93%, making it the fastest-growing brand within the Great Wall Motors system. The success of popular models has led to a rapid increase in brand sales, marking a phased victory for the WEY brand in the new round of competition to some extent.

However, just as the Wei brand is gaining momentum, news has emerged that CEO Feng Fuzhi is "on leave."

According to public information, Feng Fuzhi's career began in the consumer electronics field, having worked at Sony, Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi. In 2016, Feng transitioned to the automotive industry, joining Li Auto as the Retail Director. By the end of 2023, he joined Great Wall Motors, leading the establishment of the direct sales channel "Great Wall Choice." After officially appearing as the CEO of WEY brand this May, he focused on the construction of direct sales and service systems, accelerating the transformation of WEY's sales channels.

From the perspective of channel layout, from May to November 2024, Wei Brand has established over 500 direct service outlets, covering more than 130 cities nationwide. The rapid expansion of direct channels not only enhances the brand's control over the terminal but also provides consumers with a more unified and high-quality service experience.

However, regarding the "leave" rumors, Great Wall Motors and Feng Fuzhi have yet to respond.

02Wei's Nine-Year Ups and Downs: Finally Seeing the Dawn?

WEY, a Chinese luxury SUV brand under Great Wall Motors, was officially launched in November 2016. The brand is named after Wei Jianjun, the founder of Great Wall Motors. Its logo design is inspired by the flagpole of the Zhili Governor's Office in Baoding, symbolizing its ambition to become the flagship and benchmark of Chinese luxury SUVs.

At its inception, WEY aimed to break through the ceiling for Chinese brands and usher in a new era of luxury SUVs in China.

The brand performed well in its early stages. In January 2018, WEY surpassed the milestone of 100,000 units in production and sales within just nine months, setting a new record for Chinese luxury brands at the time. From 2018 to 2019, WEY's sales exceeded 100,000 units for two consecutive years, with both the VV5 and VV7 models achieving monthly sales of over 10,000 units, and the average price per vehicle exceeding 170,000 RMB. In October 2019, WEY's 300,000th vehicle rolled off the production line, making it the fastest Chinese luxury brand to reach this milestone at that time.

However, the applause from the market did not last long.

Since 2020, the Wei brand has faced severe challenges due to intensified market competition and changes in the consumer environment. Sales plummeted, with only 36,400 units sold in 2022, making it the brand with the largest decline under Great Wall Motors. To make matters worse, in 2021, the Tank brand became independent from the Wei brand, causing the Wei brand to lose its product lineup that had already established a differentiated perception.

Facing difficulties, the Wei brand began its transformation journey. The brand abandoned its original VV series naming and shifted to the "Coffee Series," launching models such as Mocha, Macchiato, and Latte. However, the market response did not meet expectations. Wei Jianjun, chairman of Great Wall Motors, openly reflected: "The automotive market is far more complex than imagined. In recent years, the Wei brand has indeed faced many challenges, including declining sales and fluctuating positioning."

In the nine-year development history of the Wei brand, aside from market fluctuations, the most notable aspect has been the frequent changes in senior management.

According to publicly available data, before Feng Fuzhi, the Wey brand had already undergone changes in CEO or brand leader seven times. Such frequent leadership changes are indeed rare among Chinese automotive brands. It is important to note that each new CEO has introduced new ideas and strategic adjustments, but this has also led to constant fluctuations in the brand's development direction.

From executives with a traditional automotive industry background to newcomers from different fields; from internally promoted veterans to externally recruited professionals, the CEO position at Wey seems like a revolving door, with few managing to hold the position for more than two years. This instability to some extent reflects Great Wall Motors' confusion and anxiety regarding the strategic positioning of the Wey brand.

Despite facing challenges of high-level instability, 2025 may still become a crucial turning point for the development of the Wei brand. Particularly in terms of sales, the cumulative sales from January to November reached 89,000 units, indicating a 93% year-on-year growth. This data suggests that Wei's product and market strategies are having a positive effect. Coupled with stable channel expansion, this indirectly supports product sales and helps establish brand recognition for Wei.

Wei Jianjun, the chairman of Great Wall Motors, firmly stated at the press conference in August 2024, "The Wey brand will not only survive next year but will continue to thrive and become better and better." This statement demonstrates the group's long-term commitment to the Wey brand and addresses external doubts about the brand's future.

At present, whether Feng Fuzhi continues to stay in office, Zhao Yongpo takes over, or other choices are made, Wei Brand needs a leader who can manage the brand in the long term and continuously advance the transformation strategy. This leader not only needs to have a deep understanding of Wei Brand's genes and history but also needs to possess the foresight and execution ability to break through in the fierce market competition to realize Wei Brand's dreams.

Wei Brand is named after the founder's surname and carries Great Wall Motors' dream of breaking into the high-end market. Over the past nine years, it has experienced ups and downs from glory to trough to recovery, and has endured strategic fluctuations brought by frequent changes in leadership. Now, amid the intertwining news of the Alpine MPV winning the championship and rumors of the CEO "taking a break," Wei Brand stands at a new crossroads.