Dongfeng Motor Accelerates Development with Key Personnel Changes

Dongfeng Motor is accelerating its development pace, with personnel changes being a critical aspect. On July 22, Dongfeng Motor Group Co., Ltd. held an expanded leadership meeting, announcing Zhou Feng as the new Deputy General Manager and member of the Party Committee. On the same day, Yu Fei announced his departure from Dongfeng Yipai. According to the official website of Dongfeng Motor Group, the leadership team has expanded to eight members: Chairman and Party Secretary Yang Qing; Director and Deputy Party Secretary Liu Yanhong; Deputy General Managers and Party Committee members Zhang Zutong and You Zheng; Chief Accountant and Party Committee member Feng Changjun; Party Committee member, Discipline Inspection Secretary, and Supervisory Commissioner Huang Chuan; Deputy General Managers and Party Committee members Huang Yong and Zhou Feng. Since 2024, Dongfeng Motor has initiated significant personnel changes at high levels, coinciding with important transitions for the company. In March and April of 2024, former FAW Group officials Zhou Yiping and Huang Yong were assigned to Dongfeng Motor, during a time when the company's development was not optimistic, with total sales of 2.4212 million vehicles in 2023, down about 17% year-over-year. Their arrival was seen as a crucial sign for leading Dongfeng Motor's transformation and signaling a counteroffensive. On the last day of the same year, Dongfeng announced a shift in its headquarters' positioning from strategic control to 'operation + coordination', with clear responsibilities assigned to the five Deputy General Managers: You Zheng is responsible for group product planning, project management, technology planning, and the R&D system (including product planning and project management for Lantu Motors and Warrior Technology). Feng Changjun oversees the finance control department, legal compliance department, and corporate governance department, assisting Yang Qing with auditing responsibilities while also managing Dongfeng Nissan’s southern region business. Huang Yong is in charge of corporate strategy, procurement, and the parts business group. The responsibilities of the 'fifth' Deputy General Manager include domestic and international sales, the international business division, and sales management, temporarily managed by Huang Yong. Another notable event occurred in February 2025, when multiple listed companies under Dongfeng and Changan simultaneously announced that their indirect controlling shareholder, Dongfeng Motor Group and the Armament Group, are planning a restructuring with other state-owned enterprises. This month, a personnel change drew attention: Zhou Yiping, who had been appointed as Dongfeng Motor Group's Director and General Manager for less than a year, was quickly transferred to become the Director and General Manager of the Armament Group, which was widely seen as a signal to accelerate the integration of Dongfeng and Changan. However, on June 5, Changan announced that after the split of China Ordnance Equipment Group, its automotive business would become an independent central enterprise, effectively halting the restructuring with Dongfeng. With the partnership with Changan no longer viable, Dongfeng will accelerate internal adjustments, with personnel changes taking precedence. Newly appointed Deputy General Manager Zhou Feng is a long-time employee of Dongfeng, having joined the Dongfeng Nissan Technical Center in July 2004 and subsequently holding important positions in Venucia, the group headquarters, and Dongfeng Nissan, giving him a wealth of experience within the organization. With his appointment, Dongfeng has completed the full complement of its five Deputy General Managers, each tasked with driving the company's development forward. Notably, following Zhou Yiping's transfer, the position of General Manager at Dongfeng Motor remains vacant, having been open for five months before his appointment, and there is much anticipation regarding who will take over in the future. Additionally, Dongfeng’s internal structure is undergoing rapid reconstruction. On June 26, the Yipai Automotive Technology Company was established, with its brands Yipai, Nano, and Fengshen working together to accelerate the development of Dongfeng's independent new energy vehicles, which is crucial for achieving its stated goal of returning to overall sales of 3 million vehicles by 2025, with over 1 million being new energy vehicles. Following the establishment of Yipai Technology, a list of the nine-member leadership team was released, with Wang Junjun appointed as the General Manager of Dongfeng Yipai Automotive Technology Company, stepping down from his positions as Deputy General Manager (CTO) of Lantu Automotive Technology Co., Ltd. and Vice Dean of Dongfeng Group's R&D Institute. Meanwhile, Yu Fei, who also joined Yipai from Lantu, will be leaving the company. On July 22, Yu Fei, General Manager of the Marketing Division of Dongfeng Yipai, announced his resignation due to personal development plans. During his tenure, the eπ007 model had monthly sales exceeding 10,000 units, and the eπ008 quickly entered the top three in the mid-to-large SUV sales. With his departure, the market is closely watching who will take up the marketing mantle for the young Dongfeng Yipai.