Changan has promoted two more executives born in the 1980s.

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Author | Zhou Zhiyu

Changan Automobile has promoted two more post-80s employees.

Wallstreetcn learned on June 16 that at the board meeting held on June 15, the Changan Automobile board appointed Chen Zhuo and Di Zhirui as company vice presidents. Chen Zhuo, born in 1984, is currently the president of Avatr Technology; Di Zhirui, born in 1981, is the CEO of Qiyuan products (general manager level). With their addition, there are now eight post-80s in the lineup of Changan vice presidents, more than sixty percent.

Changan's approach to personnel in recent years has been consistent: whoever has led a sub-brand and carried performance, gets promoted. At the end of 2022, five post-80s were promoted to vice president; in 2025, Deng Chenghao was promoted from Deep Blue CEO to chairman, and Wang Hui replaced Zhu Huarong as chairman of Avatr. Chen Zhuo and Di Zhirui are the latest names on this path.

Looking at the three major central automotive enterprises, the management reshuffle at Dongfeng and FAW is also underway, but not as fast-paced as Changan, especially the direct promotion from sub-brand frontline to group vice president - Changan’s channel is the most streamlined.

The two who entered management this time have different backgrounds. Chen Zhuo comes from brand public relations, rising from deputy general manager to general manager and spokesperson in Changan’s PR department, dealing with media and the public for years. In February 2023, he was transferred to Avatr as Senior Executive Vice President, and ten months later promoted to president. Avatr is a high-end brand jointly created by Changan, Huawei, and CATL; its technical foundation is solid, but in the early years what it lacked most was brand awareness and channels. All three shareholders are tech-savvy, but consumers didn't know who Avatr was or why it was worth more than 250,000 RMB. After Chen Zhuo joined, he mainly filled these two gaps: clarifying brand positioning and building out channels.

In 2025, Avatr delivered over 120,000 vehicles, with monthly sales exceeding 10,000 for ten consecutive months—standing firm in the high-end new energy market above 250,000 RMB. For a brand that only started deliveries in 2022, Chen Zhuo’s report card proves his capability.

Di Zhirui comes from the product line. He joined Changan in 2003, working in product planning, Deep Blue, and Oshan, being involved in both product definition and end sales, making him a rare all-chain product talent within Changan.

In May 2025, Changan set up the "Product CEO" position for the first time, letting one person manage both product definition and market results. Previously, a car went through several departments from project establishment to sales, dispersing responsibility; if sales lagged, it was hard to pin it on someone. The Product CEO changed this: whoever defines the car is responsible for final sales. After Di Zhirui became Qiyuan Product CEO, Qiyuan’s full-year sales in 2025 exceeded 400,000 vehicles, up over forty percent year on year.

One comes from branding, the other from product. This combination is linked to Changan's current situation. In 2025, Changan sold 2.91 million vehicles—a nine-year high—but net profit fell 44% to about 4 billion RMB: they can sell cars but can't make profit. The price war has lasted over two years; the overall new energy segment is still losing money, and the average vehicle price is dropping.

Changan doesn't lack engineers; what it lacks are people who can build brand premium and articulate product differentiation. At this juncture, promoting Chen Zhuo and Di Zhirui to group management reflects Changan’s clear intention to fill these gaps. In 2025, Changan sold 2.91 million cars, posted a parent net profit of 4.075 billion RMB, and average net profit per car after dilution is about 1,400 RMB.

In 2026, Changan's sales target is 3.3 million vehicles: 1.4 million for new energy, 750,000 for overseas—both seeing substantial increases compared to 2025, especially overseas, which will nearly double in a year. After the new central enterprise, China Changan Automobile Group, was listed in July 2025, Zhu Huarong clarified the selection direction: "professional, youthful, international, market-driven," with vice presidents and key middle managers appointed through open competition, regardless of seniority. The promotions of Chen Zhuo and Di Zhirui followed this path.

However, transferring sub-brand experience to the group level requires a step up. Avatr, which Chen Zhuo built, is in contraction this year; in the first five months, cumulative sales were about 24,900 vehicles, down about 49% year on year. By end-May, its IPO prospectus became void due to expiry; cumulative losses over three and a half years exceeded 11.3 billion RMB.

For Di Zhirui’s Qiyuan, the growth numbers look good, but the structure is rather single. Out of over 400,000 annual sales, the micro EV Lumin contributed more than 160,000. Without Lumin, Qiyuan hasn't produced a mainstream-price single model with stable monthly sales over 10,000 yet. The momentum for A06 and Q05 orders looks good after launch, but whether they can sustain monthly sales above 10,000—enough to build Qiyuan's brand identity in the 100,000-150,000 RMB range—still needs a few more months to see.

Post-60s and post-70s are leaving frontline management at central automotive enterprises, and post-80s are occupying key positions, with Changan advancing the fastest. Youthfulness is a trend, but the 3.3 million sales target and persistent profit pressures won’t automatically improve just because management is younger.

Changan has given the post-80s trust and positions, and Chen Zhuo and Di Zhirui have secured rare opportunities for advancement within the central enterprise system, but their window to prove themselves won’t be long; 2026 is already nearly half over, and the 3.3 million target won’t wait for anyone.

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