2026 will be a key milestone for WEY’s 10th anniversary.
On December 22, at the launch event for the all-new Lanshan Smart Advanced Edition, Zhao Yongpo, the General Manager of the Haval brand, made his first public appearance in the role of CEO for the WEY brand. He has become the ninth leader of the WEY brand since its establishment in 2016.
During the media communication session that evening, Jack Wey, Chairman of Great Wall Motors, directly addressed the issue of frequent leadership changes at WEY for the first time.
“It’s not that we fired them or didn’t let them continue; it’s that they themselves felt tremendous pressure,” Wey stated frankly, noting that building a successful automotive brand places comprehensive demands on a CEO.
He also pointed out that the Chinese automotive industry has long had a tendency to “prioritize sales over brand management,” and that brand operation remains a challenge to this day.
The “CEO relay race” at WEY began almost with the brand’s inception.
From the initial leaders Yan Si and Liu Yan, to later ones Li Ruifeng, Liu Yanzhao, Chen Siying, Feng Fuzhi, and now the newly appointed Zhao Yongpo. Over nine years, WEY brand has changed CEOs nine times, averaging one change every 12 months. Among these, the shortest tenure was only four months. The vast majority of successors served for less than a year.
Regarding the frequent leadership changes, Wey stated that operating an automotive brand involves the entire chain of R&D, production, supply, sales, and service, resulting in high systemic complexity. Like many new Chinese brands, the WEY brand is still in the exploration phase of moving upmarket.
The sales fluctuations of WEY in recent years also attest to this challenge.
In terms of sales, WEY launched its first model, the VV7, in April 2017, achieving sales of 86,000 units that year. In its first full sales year, 2018, WEY’s sales exceeded 100,000 units, reaching 139,500. However, after this brief peak period, WEY’s sales began to decline.
Official data shows that from 2019 to 2022, WEY’s sales were 100,000 units, 78,500 units, 58,300 units, and 36,300 units respectively. Within just a few years, WEY’s annual sales fell from the 100,000-unit level to the 30,000-unit level, a decline of over 60%.
The two central figures in this personnel change are Feng Fuzhi, who is officially “on leave,” and the new CEO, Zhao Yongpo.
The former’s career spans the consumer electronics and automotive industries. He has worked at companies like Sony, Apple, Samsung, and Xiaomi, later moving to Li Auto as Retail Director, and joined Great Wall Motors at the end of 2023.
In May of this year, Feng Fuzhi made his first public appearance as CEO at the launch event for the WEY Lanshan refreshed version. His core task was to promote the construction of the direct sales channel “GWM Smart Selection” system. During his tenure, WEY’s cumulative sales from January to November 2025 reached 89,100 units, a year-on-year increase of 93.94%, making it the fastest-growing brand among Great Wall Motors’ five major sub-brands.
His successor, Zhao Yongpo, is a “technical expert” who grew up within the Great Wall system, having been with Great Wall Motors for nearly 20 years. He previously served as Deputy General Manager of the Great Wall Motors Technology Center and was appointed General Manager of the Haval brand in November 2023.
Regarding the future development strategy for WEY, Wey revealed clear plans.
2026 will be a critical milestone as it marks the tenth anniversary of WEY’s establishment. The brand will focus on the strategic direction of “one vehicle with multiple powertrains, one vehicle with multiple stances, one vehicle with multiple categories.”
In the future, WEY’s new vehicles will be produced in the same factory as models like the Lanshan and Gaoshan and sold through the same channels to enhance efficiency and reduce operational costs.
Wey revealed that Great Wall Motors has invested over 2 billion yuan in WEY’s direct sales system. In the field of intelligence, Great Wall Motors is also advancing rapidly through trial and error. The newly launched Lanshan Smart Advanced Edition is equipped with the VLA large model and the NVIDIA Thor-U chip, delivering computing power of 700 TOPS.
Regarding the WEY brand, Jack Wey said: “I’ve staked my surname on the WEY brand. It must succeed; failure is not an option.”
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