Recently, Huawei’s official website updated Yu Chengdong’s position, revealing his new role as Director of the Product Investment Committee—a move signaling even greater responsibilities. He continues to serve as an Executive Director of Huawei and the Chairman of the Terminal BG.

In fact, Yu Chengdong’s evolving role comes as no surprise. The rationale is straightforward: as early as late September, Huawei issued an internal appointment notice naming Yu Chengdong as Director of the Huawei Product Investment Review Board (IRB), with the document bearing Ren Zhengfei’s personal signature.

According to sources, the IRB holds the authority to make pivotal decisions on resource allocation and budget approvals for the company’s major strategic initiatives, ensuring alignment with core strategic objectives. Insiders reveal that Yu Chengdong’s primary mission is to steer Huawei toward global leadership in artificial intelligence (AI), positioning him as the linchpin in Huawei’s critical AI endeavors. Indeed, within Huawei, Yu Chengdong stands out as the top candidate for leading major battles—a fact that is undeniable.

On October 20, Huawei’s official recruitment account on Weibo issued a “Global Top AI Talent Recruitment Order,” announcing plans to build a world-class AI team, develop cutting-edge large models, and scale the heights of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Yu Chengdong reposted the announcement on his Weibo, declaring, “With kingly ambition, let’s conquer the peak together! We welcome young, talented AI enthusiasts to join us in building the world’s strongest AI!”

In my observation, Yu Chengdong’s role has seen relatively frequent adjustments in recent years. In September 2023, he stepped down as CEO of Huawei’s Automotive BU to become its Chairman. In April 2024, he relinquished his role as CEO of Huawei’s Terminal BG while retaining his position as Chairman. This April, he stepped down again as Chairman of Huawei’s Automotive BU. Recently, he has emerged as the “key man” entrusted with leading Huawei’s charge in the AI arena.

It is clear that while Yu Chengdong’s title has shifted, Huawei’s expectations for him have remained consistently high, with him consistently shouldering critical responsibilities at pivotal moments. Whether or not one appreciates his “Yu the Big Mouth” marketing style, it is undeniable that Yu Chengdong possesses exceptional personal capabilities—to a formidable degree—making him a rare talent and warrior within Huawei.

Under his leadership, Huawei’s smartphone business rebounded from its darkest hour in 2023, securing a top-three position in the fiercely competitive domestic market. Since then, it has consistently ranked among the leaders and introduced industry-leading innovations such as triple-folding, wide-folding, and folding PCs. The HarmonyOS ecosystem has also steadily gained momentum, with its overall competitiveness continuously improving.

Meanwhile, the Automotive BU’s revenue has surged in recent years, reaching 26.353 billion yuan in 2024—a staggering 474.4% year-on-year increase. In the first half of this year, revenue soared to 27 billion yuan, marking a 110% year-on-year rise and achieving an operating profit of 1.3 billion yuan. This represents its first profitable year, having previously been the only business segment dragging Huawei down. Behind these achievements lies Yu Chengdong’s undeniable contributions, and his exceptional abilities command respect.

It is foreseeable that under Yu Chengdong’s leadership, Huawei is poised to achieve significant breakthroughs in AI. Let the results speak for themselves. In my view, Yu Chengdong’s reputation within Huawei as a battle-hardened leader stems not only from his intelligence but also from his pragmatic and relentless work ethic, which far surpasses that of ordinary individuals. The outside world directly refers to Yu Chengdong as a truly formidable figure.

In March 2017, during an appearance on CCTV’s “Dialogue” program, Yu Chengdong opened up about his family life, saying, “In my 24 years at Huawei, everyone has worked tirelessly. From the moment I stepped onto the company campus after university, we have been working overtime and striving hard for 24 years. Actually, we don’t hope for employees to work overtime; we hope they can go home and spend time with their families after work. However, for the past 24 years at Huawei, we have maintained this relentless effort because we always feel that we are not doing well enough and that we can do better.”

After speaking these words, his eyes welled up with tears, and he momentarily choked up. The outside world often criticizes Huawei’s demanding overtime culture, but it is, in fact, a vivid manifestation of Huawei’s commitment to those who strive. From management to grassroots employees, everyone works tirelessly, day and night, to achieve today’s extraordinary accomplishments.

On August 9, 2019, Yu Chengdong celebrated his 50th birthday—his 27th spent at Huawei. Reflecting on his 27-year journey at the company, he remarked with emotion, “I am deeply moved by the rapid development of Huawei, Shenzhen, and China over the past 27 years! Looking back, what I remember most are the difficulties and hardships at each stage, from wireless to now. The joy of success is always fleeting, and challenges always follow one after another.”

During the Shanghai Auto Show in April this year, in a conversation with Ma Dong and Huang Bo, Yu Chengdong revealed his limited free time, saying, “We have high standards for product quality, so now my spare time—including weekends, nights, and holidays—is basically spent on the car.” It must be said that he is a true workaholic and an unstoppable force.

Various signs indicate that at Huawei, one can always expect great things from Yu Chengdong. His unyielding spirit and relentless pursuit of excellence will drive him to continuously rise to challenges and achieve breakthroughs. However, for Huawei’s competitors, this may not be welcome news, as Yu Chengdong is undoubtedly a formidable opponent. Wherever he goes, he sparks discussions and drives innovations that others either lack or cannot match.

In other words, under Yu Chengdong’s strong leadership, competitors facing Huawei in both product and marketing realms are destined to feel immense pressure—even to the point of being overwhelmed. In short, Yu Chengdong embodies a paradox: he is bold in his ambitions yet delivers results. As a tech leader inherently surrounded by controversy, do you admire, dislike, or remain indifferent toward him?