XPeng to Welcome New Marketing Leader

After implementing major organizational adjustments at the end of last year, the internal reform of XPeng is still in progress. According to a report by Mingjing Pro on January 10, Yi Han, a former Geely executive, will join XPeng as vice president after the upcoming Spring Festival holiday, and will be fully responsible for marketing and public relations.

Previously, most of the people in charge of this position in XPeng came from internet companies, and this is the first time that it will be held by professional managers from traditional automobile makers. This means that XPeng will make a big change in the marketing department.

Yi Han graduated from the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation. After joining Geely, he served as deputy general manager and brand director of Geely’s sales company. With many successful experiences in building new brands, he was one of the heroes who made the annual sales volume of Geely jump from 300,000 vehicles to millions of vehicles.

In 2016, Yi was transferred to Volvo, where he was mainly responsible for the firm’s strategic planning, sales, marketing, channel extension and other important work in China. He then left Volvo and joined Lynk & Co to complete a series of projects from brand releases to launching the 01, 02, 03 and 01 PHEV models within two years. In 2019, Yi was transferred to the “Smart” project jointly established by Geely and Daimler AG, and was responsible for the overall marketing business of the Chinese market on behalf of Geely. After leaving Geely, Yi will become a professional talent that XPeng urgently needs.

In December 2022, XPeng delivered a total of 11,292 vehicles, an increase of 94% from the previous month. In 2022, the cumulative delivery volume was 120,757 units, an increase of 23% compared with 2021. However, compared with rivals such as NIO and Li Auto, XPeng fell behind last year.

With consumer complaints after the launch of the G9 in September last year, the sales volume of XPeng plummeted, and internal problems gradually emerged. He Xiaopeng, Chairman of XPeng, held many management meetings, reflected on the company’s operation and product strategy, and made major adjustments. Five virtual committee organizations were established to open up communication channels among various business lines of the company and improve cooperation efficiency.

In addition, XPeng divided brand public relations into two major parts. One is corporate brand public relations and the other is product public relations, which are independent of each other and have their own leaders, all of whom report to the Production Regulation Committee overseen by He Xiaopeng.

SEE ALSO: XPeng Motors Continues Adjusting Organizational Structure With Cost Control at Core

According to sources, it is due to the impact of the G9 that He Xiaopeng realized the urgency of professional talent. Inviting Yi Han to join is the first time that all the marketing power has been handed over to professional managers from traditional automobile manufacturers. He Xiaopeng announced at an internal meeting that there will be a new organizational structure after the Spring Festival, and the merger of marketing and public relations will be managed by a new executive.