China Changan Automobile Group and its listed subsidiary Changan Auto have announced a series of management changes, following regulatory requirements and a year-long restructuring of the group's governance. The announcement, made on October 16, 2026, according to PCauto, comes less than a month after Zhu Huarong was reappointed as chairman of Changan Auto, and is part of a broader effort to align with modern corporate governance standards.
Under the new arrangements, Zhu Huarong will continue as secretary of the party committee and chairman of China Changan, but will step down as chairman of Changan Auto. Zhao Fei, who remains general manager and deputy party secretary of the group, will take on the additional roles of chairman and party secretary of Changan Auto. Tan Benhong will continue as deputy party secretary of the group but will no longer serve in the same capacity at the listed company. Ye Pei has been promoted from executive vice president to president of Changan Auto, while Yang Dayong moves up to executive vice president, and Deng Chenghao becomes executive vice president. Klaus Zyciora, formerly vice president and head of the global design center, has been appointed as global chief executive advisor.
The changes are driven by requirements from the Company Law, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange listing rules, and China Securities Regulatory Commission guidelines, which mandate that the board of directors undergo a term change in September. The group says the timing of the announcements is coincidental and not directly related. The restructuring follows the establishment of China Changan a year ago and the completion of its transitional governance phase.
Governance overhaul and strategic goals
The group stated that the adjustment will allow China Changan to better fulfill its role in setting strategy, allocating resources, promoting collaboration, controlling risks, and strengthening incentives. It aims to optimize market mechanisms, focus on global operations, and drive high-quality development of the listed company. The new governance model, which has been reviewed by higher-level authorities, will see only Zhao Fei hold concurrent positions in both the group and the listed company, enhancing coordination between group strategy and listed operations.
The company also emphasized that the president position will now be selected from within Changan Auto, improving the independence and market responsiveness of the listed entity. The leadership team has been strengthened with professionals from the industry, aiming to maintain stability and continuity while supporting long-term growth.
Looking ahead, China Changan will continue its “1445” strategy, targeting world-class status by strengthening four business areas: new vehicles, new components, new services, and new ecosystems. The group aims to achieve five-fold growth in new energy vehicle sales, overseas sales, technological innovation efficiency, revenue, and brand value by 2030, and to become a globally competitive automotive group by 2035. Changan Auto will focus on its vehicle business, developing its three major brands and five product series, while advancing its new energy, intelligent, and globalization initiatives. The company targets 5 million vehicle sales by 2030 (including 2 million overseas) and 6 million by 2035, aiming to rank among the global top ten automakers.
