Following the resignation of CEO Zhao Ming, several high-level executives from Honor, a Chinese smartphone and smart device manufacturer that was initially a sub-brand of Huawei, have also stepped down. The successive departures of these executives have drawn widespread attention to the management turmoil at Honor.
Honor’s primary business includes smartphones, tablets, smart wearables, and other consumer electronics products. After being sold off by Huawei in 2020, Honor became an independent company with products covering high-end to low-end markets.
On January 17, an announcement was made on Honor’s internal network stating that Zhao Ming had resigned from his positions as company director and CEO due to personal reasons, and Li Jian would take over. Subsequently, on January 20, internal notifications from Honor revealed that Zheng Shubao, the head of Honor’s sales department in China, had also resigned, with Chen Haogian taking over his previous position. Additionally, Honor’s Chief Marketing Officer Guo Rui took on additional responsibilities in the Chinese operations, as the former CMO for China, Jiang Hairong, also stepped down. Honor officials confirmed the changes.
This wave of departures signifies that since the initiation of equity reform in August 2024, including Zhao Ming, at least four Huawei-affiliated executives such as Wan Biao, Jiang Hairong, and Zheng Shubao have left Honor.
Public information indicates that Jiang Hairong joined Huawei in 2005 and held various positions within the company, including Director Engineer of Huawei’s Terminal Mobile Phone Product Department, Head of Honor Product Marketing Department, Director of Honor Overseas Marketing Department, and Director of Western Europe Terminal Honor MKT Department.
Starting from 2021, Jiang Hairong served as the CMO for Honor China. He represented Honor in the launch of products like Honor X50/X50 GT, Honor 90 GT, Honor MagicBook series, and Honor Tablet 9.
Despite reports of his departure on January 20, Jiang Hairong continued to share Honor-related content on his social media circle. When asked for confirmation regarding his departure, Jiang Hairong expressed gratitude for the concern and mentioned the possibility of a detailed discussion later.
Public records show that Zheng Shubao previously held positions such as Vice President of Huawei and Director of Telecommunications Channel for the Consumer BG Greater China region.
The frequent changes in Honor’s top management following the announcement of equity reform in 2024 have led to the departure of several high-ranking Huawei-affiliated executives. In November 2023, Wu Hui, former Chairman of Shenzhen Water Group Limited, joined Honor Terminal Co., Ltd. as Chairman. Former Chairman of Huawei, Wan Biao, transitioned to Vice Chairman.
In September 2024, Wan Biao resigned from his positions, citing personal reasons, following the completion of equity reform at Honor. He mentioned that his main focus post-resignation was to spend time with his family.
Wan Biao previously held positions such as President of Huawei’s Wireless Product Line, President of Terminal Company, President of Consumer Business Mobile Broadband and Home Product Line, and Chief Operating Officer of Consumer Business. He served as Chairman of Honor Terminal Co., Ltd. in 2020, overseeing core departments like the supply chain.
This recent high-level executive reshuffle comes at a sensitive time. Honor had just completed equity reform at the end of 2024 and experienced fluctuations in market share.
Data indicates that in the fourth quarter of 2024, Honor even dropped out of the top five in the Chinese domestic market.
Industry insiders suggest that with the departure of several senior executives, Honor may face a leadership vacuum in the short term, leading to management chaos. This shakeup could potentially impact sales strategies, with the effects expected to gradually manifest in sales volumes over the next six months to a year.