Changan Automobile Personnel Adjustment in Place: The Most Comprehensive Personnel Overview Clarified

The personnel adjustments for the new central enterprise, Changan Automobile, are basically in place. What's left is to focus on the two major strategies of transitioning to new energy and globalization, and work hard on them.

At the Changan Group level, the highest management echelon consists of Chairman Zhu Huarong, General Manager Zhao Fei, and dedicated Deputy Secretary Tan Benhong, along with five Vice General Managers. At the Changan Automobile level, Ye Pei is promoted to Executive Vice President, and Mi Mengdong is promoted to Vice President of Public Relations. At the various business unit levels, Wang Xiaofei and Yang Dayong have exchanged roles, with Wang Xiaofei taking charge of Changan Ford, and Yang Dayong overseeing Qiyuan and Gravity, while Wang Hui is in charge of Avita. At the individual brand level, Avita continues to be led by Chen Zhuo; Deng Chenghao is promoted to Chairman of Deep Blue Automobile, and Jiang Hairong is appointed CEO; Dong Chenrui is appointed President of Kaicene, and Lan Xiangwen is promoted to Vice Chairman of the Board.

Sources indicate that personnel adjustments at New Changan Automobile, from the group level down to its sub-brands, have basically been finalized. The reshuffling includes both the promotion and reuse of experienced veterans as well as the introduction of cross-industry talents. This series of personnel arrangements is closely centered around the strategies of new energy transformation and globalization. These personnel changes not only demonstrate the “newness” of the new state-owned Changan, but also highlight Changan Automobile’s proactive efforts to optimize its talent structure in line with industry trends. This enables the company to forge ahead against industry currents and maintain its position in the leading tier of the market.

Deng-Jiang combination to fill the gaps.

Jiang Hairong, former CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) of Honor China, has "parachuted" into Deepal Auto. There was no superficial welcome ceremony, only pragmatic internal communications and candid meetings with the media. On September 8, Jiang Hairong’s first day at Deepal Auto, he met with core management and operational staff in the morning, and had a face-to-face meeting with the media in the afternoon. The practical style of the "Deng-Jiang" duo is set to propel Deepal Auto into a new stage of development.

Jiang Hairong's arrival will change the situation of "having good products but failing to tell a story" and "the mismatch between product strength and communication effectiveness." In an interview with Auto-First, Deng Chenghao, chairman of Deep Blue Auto, pointed out that Deep Blue is a "straightforward" company, and marketing and communication are its weaknesses. Jiang Hairong's presence can help fill this gap.

Before joining DeepBlue Auto, Jiang Hairong had 20 years of experience in the ICT field. During his tenure at Huawei, he was heavily involved in R&D and product management, accumulating a solid technical foundation. After joining the Honor brand, he drove Honor to achieve outstanding results in several overseas markets. Following Honor's separation from Huawei, Jiang Hairong took full responsibility for brand building, product marketing, and market promotion in the Chinese market, leading Honor to achieve a "V-shaped rebound" in market share in China.

Jiang Hairong admits that, having crossed over from the ICT field to the automotive industry, he is a newcomer and not very familiar with the automotive sector. However, Jiang Hairong possesses valuable marketing and user operation experience from the ICT field. He pointed out that his hands-on experience in the consumer electronics market has allowed him to accumulate lessons and insights in areas such as product positioning, market communication, user engagement, and brand building. These can be quickly applied to Deepal Auto, enabling the team to review and learn rapidly, and to avoid mistakes that others have made before.

The Deng-Jiang duo will also promote the globalization process of Deep Blue Auto. Deng Chenghao told Qishi Auto-First, "Jiang Hairong has been responsible for the overseas marketing of Honor, and he has also spent several years in Europe. I am more localized, while he is relatively more international. So from this perspective, we are a great match."

Deng Chenghao pointed out that Deepal’s globalization efforts can no longer be small-scale; the scale is now very large. At peak times, monthly sales have approached 10,000 units. Currently, Deepal covers more than 70 countries overseas and can quickly expand to 150 countries and regions. Moreover, the Deepal S05 has already begun to gain significant traction in multiple overseas markets. Therefore, Deepal Auto must adopt a more systematic approach to globalization.

At the 2025 Munich Motor Show (IAA), Deepal Automotive accelerated its European market expansion with the launch and delivery commencement of the Deepal S05 in the European market. Meanwhile, the Deepal S07 also made its simultaneous debut.

Deng Chenghao said that the S05 and S07 are global flagship products to be incubated, with both products requiring global supply. The S05 aims to achieve 20,000 units, while the S07 aims for around 15,000 units.

The synergistic complementarity of the Deng-Jiang partnership not only addresses DeepBlue Auto’s shortcomings in marketing, but also drives the company’s globalization process. It transforms DeepBlue Auto’s product experience and technological advantages into market competitiveness, propelling the brand into a new stage of development.

Personnel changes in independent brands clarify objectives.

At the opening of the Fifth Changan Automobile Technology Ecosystem Conference on September 5th, Yang Dayong, the newly appointed Executive Vice President of Changan Automobile, appeared alongside the Changan Qiyuan A06.

Previously, Yang Dayong was transferred back to Changan Automobile from Changan Ford to take over from Ye Pei in charge of the Yiner and Qiyuan brands, while maintaining his position as the Executive Vice President of Changan Automobile. As a veteran of Changan, Yang Dayong has a wealth of work experience, having served as the Deputy Director of the Marketing Department, Deputy Director of the Commercial Vehicle Business Management Department, Director of the Brand Public Relations Department, Party Branch Secretary, Company Spokesperson, Senior Project Director of the High-end Vehicle Brand Project Team, General Manager and Party Secretary of Chongqing Changan New Energy Automobile Technology Co., Ltd., and Senior Project Director of the Intelligent Industry Development Project Team.

At the same time, Yang Dayong also played an active role during the critical period of Changan Automobile's transformation. In 2018, when he was appointed as the General Manager and Party Secretary of Chongqing Changan New Energy Vehicle Technology Co., Ltd., he led the construction of Changan Automobile's new energy sector. In 2022, he was transferred to serve as the Executive Vice President and Party Secretary of Changan Ford Automobile Co., Ltd. During his tenure, he promoted Changan Ford's differentiation and high-end strategies, as well as the implementation of the new energy strategy, and established Changan Ford New Energy Vehicle Technology Co., Ltd.

Under the leadership of Yang Dayong, Changan Ford's sales rebounded and performance improved. In 2024, Changan Ford's sales reached 247,000 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 5.97%. The annual net profit amounted to 2.09 billion yuan, making it one of the few "comeback" joint venture car companies.

Recalling Yang Dayong to Changan Automobile to oversee the Gravity and Qiyuan brands is undoubtedly a new expectation for Changan Automobile. Within Changan Automobile, the Gravity and Qiyuan brands represent the core market base for fuel vehicles and new energy vehicles, respectively. In the first half of this year, cumulative sales of Changan Gravity exceeded 471,300 units, accounting for 34.78% of Changan Automobile's total sales. By 2026, the Gravity and Qiyuan brands aim to achieve a target of 1.2 million vehicles. Among them, Qiyuan (domestic) is set for 500,000 units, and Gravity for 700,000 units. By 2027, the two brands (domestic + export) will reach the "double million" sales target.

In fact, the series of personnel changes centered around independent brands at Changan Automobile have a clear objective. Yang Dayong's return to Changan Automobile to oversee the Yinian and Qiyuan brands aims to stabilize the sales foundation of Changan Automobile, while Wang Hui, Vice President of Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd., replacing Wang Xiaofei to oversee the Avita brand, aims to strengthen Avita's globalization process.

Wang Hui has extensive experience working in overseas markets. According to public information, he previously served as the General Manager of the Overseas Business Development Department and the Southeast Asia Business Department at Changan Automobile. He led the site selection and construction of Changan's first overseas production base, the Rayong factory in Thailand.

Since launching its globalization strategy last September, AVATR has expanded to over 25 countries and regions, with plans to reach 45-50 by the end of this year. The company also aims to open 160 overseas stores and achieve profitability. During this year’s Munich Auto Show, the AVATR VISION XPECTRA made its debut, and the AVATR 012, AVATR 11, AVATR 07, and AVATR 06 were all showcased.

In addition, Dong Chenrui has been appointed as the President of Chongqing Changan Kaicheng Automobile Technology Co., Ltd., aiming to leverage his international perspective on commercial vehicles to accelerate the implementation of Changan Kaicheng's internationalization strategy. The former president of Changan Kaicheng, Lan Xiangwen, has been promoted to Vice Chairman of the Board, assisting in the management of board affairs.

Before joining Changan Kaicheng, Dong Chenrui held positions at Iveco, MAN Truck & Bus under Volkswagen Group, Renault Group, and Volvo Trucks, with work experience in eight countries including Australia, Japan, the United States, and France. Changan Kaicheng pointed out that Dong Chenrui’s appointment is a key move in the company’s strategic transformation and will inject global vision and practical expertise into Changan’s commercial vehicle business.

As the carrier of Changan Automobile's commercial vehicle business, Changan Kaicheng is accelerating its globalization process by penetrating markets in Southeast Asia, Central and South America, Europe, and the Middle East and Africa. In the first half of the year, it exported a total of 43,200 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 7.9%.

Changan Ford moves towards innovation.

Changan Automobile's intensive personnel adjustments are not limited to its own brands. Wang Xiaofei replaces Yang Dayong as Executive Vice President of Changan Ford and President and Product Vice President of Changan Ford New Energy Vehicle Technology Co., Ltd., which will accelerate Changan Ford's transition to new energy.

According to his resume, Wang Xiaofei has held multiple positions including Vice President of Products at the Commercial Vehicle Division, General Manager of the Oshan Automobile Division, Director of Product Marketing, Chairman of Deep Blue Automotive, and Executive Vice President of Changan Automobile. While serving as Executive Vice President of Changan Automobile, Wang Xiaofei was responsible for the Avita brand and promoted the brand to complete the "pure electric + extended-range" dual powertrain matrix layout, significantly boosting brand sales.

Wang Xiaofei, who has extensive experience in new energy vehicle marketing and operations, will be placed in the position of the top Chinese executive at Changan Ford. He will comprehensively accelerate Changan Ford's electrification and intelligent transformation, as well as the integration of related technologies from Changan Automobile.

In the transition to electrification and intelligence, Changan Ford is exploring new development patterns based on the "Joint Venture Model 2.0." The strategic model CX810, built on the Changan EPA architecture, may be unveiled soon. Meanwhile, empowered by Changan Ford's new energy vehicle technology, Changan Ford plans to launch 3-4 new energy products, including EV and XEV models, aiming to achieve a scale of 460,000 vehicles by 2028.

Personnel adjustments are not yet complete.

The series of intensive personnel changes began with the establishment of New Changan. At the end of July, when China Changan Automobile Group Co., Ltd. was officially established, the new leadership team was announced. Zhu Huarong was appointed as the Party Secretary and Chairman of China Changan Automobile Group Co., Ltd., Zhao Fei was appointed as the Deputy Party Secretary, Director, and General Manager, Tan Benhong as the Deputy Party Secretary and Director, while Jia Lishan, Deng Wei, Deng Yueming, and Pu Xingchuan were appointed as members of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Deputy General Managers of China Changan Automobile Group Co., Ltd., and Wang Kun was appointed as a member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Chief Accountant.

Like FAW and Dongfeng, there is a vacancy in the leadership team of China Changan Automobile, and the candidate for the member of the Party Committee Standing Committee and Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission has not been announced.

On August 23, Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd., a listed company, announced a personnel adjustment. Former Executive Vice President Ye Pei of Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd. has been promoted to the position of Executive Vice President. Mi Mengdong has been appointed as Vice President of Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd. and will continue to serve as General Manager of the Brand and Public Relations Department, Party Branch Secretary, and Company Spokesperson.

At the same time, adjustments were made to the board of directors and the board of supervisors of Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd. The director concurrently serving from the China South Industries Group Corporation left the board. Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd. director Shi Yaoxiang and the chairman of the board of supervisors Wen Hong resigned.

It is noteworthy that the position of President of Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd. has been vacant for over 5 months. In April this year, Wang Jun, who was transferred to China South Industries Group Corporation as Deputy General Manager and Party Leadership Group Member, resigned from his positions as Director of the Board, Convener of the Strategy and Investment Committee, and President. Since then, the position of President at Changan Automobile has remained unfilled.

Judging solely from the job vacancies, personnel adjustments at China Changan Automobile may continue, as the candidates for the positions of Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of China Changan Automobile, as well as the President of Changan Automobile, have not yet been finalized.

From the top level of Changan Automobile in China to the operational level, the intensive personnel adjustments are highly targeted, combining future development directions with talent to help Changan Automobile achieve its goal of 5 million vehicle sales by 2030 and becoming a world-class automotive group.