Honor experiences a significant leadership change as three executives resign within a span of four days.

      In 2024, Honor ranked fifth in smartphone shipments in mainland China. Credit: Honor

      In a swift series of changes, Chinese phone manufacturer Honor replaced three key executives within just four days. On January 17, Honor CEO Zhao Ming resigned for personal reasons, followed by the exits of China CMO Jiang Hairong and sales leader Zheng Shubao on January 20. Why it matters: These resignations have sparked concerns regarding Honor’s stability and decision-making, indicating possible challenges or strategic alterations that may impact operations and hint at deeper internal issues. Details: Zhao Ming recently announced his departure from the Huawei spinoff on the Chinese social media site Weibo as the company prepares for its upcoming IPO, after a decade-long tenure. On January 17, Zhao Ming's resignation was accepted by the board after careful deliberation, and Li Jian was appointed 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. He transitioned to the newly independent Honor in 2021. During his time at Huawei, he held various roles, including an R&D algorithm engineer, representative of the Nigeria and Ghana offices, president of the West Africa region, and president of both Europe and the Americas. After joining Honor, he became a core member of the management team, serving as vice chairman, director, and head of HR.

      Chinese media outlet Yicai reported exclusively on Monday that Jiang Hairong, CMO of Honor China, would be resigning, as disclosed in an internal announcement. Jiang, who has over 20 years of experience at Huawei and Honor in R&D and marketing, submitted his resignation through the internal system, according to the report. Zheng Shubao, head of Honor’s China sales division, also left the company and completed his transition on Monday, as stated by local media Sina Tech. His position will be taken over by Chen Haoqian, who is in charge of Honor’s Jiangsu province. Honor’s global CMO Guo Rui will temporarily assume the role of CMO for China, previously held by Jiang Hairong. Context: In 2024, Honor secured fifth place in smartphone shipments across mainland China, holding a 15% market share with 42.2 million units shipped, according to market analysis firm Canalys. The total shipments in the region reached 285 million units, reflecting a 4% year-on-year growth. The other leading brands included Vivo, Huawei, Apple, and Oppo.

      Jessie Wu is a tech reporter based in Shanghai, covering consumer electronics, semiconductors, and the gaming industry for TechNode. You can connect with her via email at [email protected]. More by Jessie Wu.