The much-anticipated executive shake-up at Chery has now been officially confirmed. On September 23, Chery Group unveiled a fresh round of leadership changes: Zhang Guozhong has been reassigned to the role of Executive Vice President at Chery Holding Group Co., Ltd., while Zhang Guibing has been appointed as the Executive Vice President of Chery Automobile Co., Ltd. Chery has positioned this personnel reshuffle as a strategic move to propel its 'Globalization 3.0' initiative forward and bolster system-wide synergy.

From a personnel standpoint, Zhang Guozhong is a seasoned manager who has been with Chery since its inception. He joined the company in July 1997 and has since held various positions in process, project, and paint shop management. His career trajectory includes roles as factory manager of the passenger vehicle plant, general manager of the procurement company, executive director of procurement, and vice president and executive deputy general manager of the company. In March 2024, Zhang Guozhong was named an executive director of Chery Automobile; by December of the same year, he had ascended to the position of executive vice president, overseeing the company's day-to-day operations and management.

Industry observers speculate that given Chery Holding Group's diverse business portfolio, which spans commercial vehicles, components, finance, intelligence, and more, this transfer is likely aimed at facilitating resource coordination across different business units.

Zhang Guibing, who has taken over as the Executive Vice President of Chery Automobile, joined the company in 1999. His career has been primarily focused on expanding Chery's global footprint, with a particular emphasis on exports, overseas distribution channels, and localized operations. Since December 2024, Zhang Guibing has served as both the Executive Vice President of Chery Automobile and the General Manager of the International Business Group, overseeing all international business activities outside of the Chinese market.

From a market performance perspective, Chery's exports have witnessed robust growth in recent years. In the first eight months of 2026, Chery Automobile sold 1.9145 million vehicles worldwide, including 1.3433 million exports, solidifying its position as the leading independent brand. This growth is also reflected in its financial results—Chery Automobile's 2026 interim report revealed that the company generated RMB 143.28 billion in revenue in the first half of the year, with RMB 98.968 billion coming from overseas markets, accounting for approximately 69% of the total. The company attributed its gross profit margin increase from 13.0% in the same period last year to 16.1% primarily to the growing contribution from its overseas business.

This leadership adjustment suggests that Chery is keen on leveraging its overseas expertise to benefit its domestic operations. Zhang Guibing's promotion was, in fact, foreshadowed earlier. In August 2026, Chery restructured its business by placing Exeed, its premium brand, under the international business system, putting it under Zhang Guibing's purview. Exeed has faced some market challenges in its development over the past two years and is in need of a breakthrough to expand its market share.

At the heart of Chery's operations is Chery Automobile, which operates five passenger vehicle brands: Chery, Exeed, Jetour, iCAR, and Luxeed. By entrusting Zhang Guibing with comprehensive authority over Chery Automobile, Chery is signaling that overseas business experience has become a core competency in the operation and management of its passenger vehicle segment, with the globalization strategy evolving from a standalone business line to a top-tier operational priority for the company.

In the broader competitive landscape, the domestic market is currently experiencing heightened competition, prompting many automakers to shift their focus to overseas markets. Chery is no exception. However, in overseas markets, competition among independent brands is also intensifying rapidly. In terms of sales, BYD and other competitors are quickly closing the gap with Chery. Therefore, Chery may aim to strengthen both its domestic and international markets simultaneously, further integrating the entire supply chain in areas such as local production, regulatory compliance, supply chain management, exchange rates, and regional operations to form a more robust systemic response capability.

Of course, the ultimate effectiveness of this adjustment will hinge on subsequent market developments.