In a rapid series of changes, Chinese phone brand Honor reshuffled three key executives in just four days. On Jan. 17, Honor CEO Zhao Ming resigned due to personal reasons, followed by the departures of China CMO Jiang Hairong and sales head Zheng Shubao on Jan. 20.
Why it matters: These departures have raised questions about Honor’s stability and decision-making capabilities, suggesting potential challenges or strategic shifts that could disrupt operations and hint at deeper internal issues.
Details: Honor CEO Zhao Ming recently announced his departure from the Huawei spin-off on Chinese social platform Weibo as the company prepares for its upcoming IPO, having served for a decade.
- On Jan.17, CEO Zhao Ming resigned from his position for personal reasons, and after careful consideration, the board accepted his resignation and appointed Li Jian as his successor, according to an internal announcement.
- Li Jian joined Huawei in 2001 and became a member of the board of supervisors in 2017. In 2021, Li Jian joined the newly independent Honor. During his time at Huawei, Li Jian was an R&D algorithm engineer, representative of the Nigeria and Ghana offices, president of the West Africa region, president of Europe, and president of the Americas. After joining Honor, he served as a core member of the management team, vice chairman, director, and head of HR.
- Chinese media outlet Yicai exclusively reported on Monday that Jiang Hairong, CMO of Honor China, will step down, as revealed in an internal announcement. Jiang, who has worked for over 20 years at Huawei and Honor in R&D and marketing, had submitted his resignation through the internal system, the report said.
- Zheng Shubao, head of Honor’s China sales department, left the company and completed his handover on Monday, according to local media outlet Sina Tech. His role will be taken by Chen Haoqian, head of Honor’s Jiangsu province. Honor’s global CMO Guo Rui will temporarily take on the role of CMO for China, previously held by Jiang Hairong.
Context: In 2024, Honor ranked fifth in smartphone shipments in mainland China, with a 15% market share and 42.2 million units shipped, according to market analyst firm Canalys. Total shipments in the region reached 285 million units, marking a 4% year-on-year growth. The other top four brands were Vivo, Huawei, Apple, and Oppo.
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