George Zhao, the Chief Executive Officer of Chinese smartphone brand Honor, has stepped down from his position, citing personal and health-related reasons. The announcement was made on Friday and marks the end of Zhao’s impactful tenure at the company, during which he played a pivotal role in reshaping Honor into a competitive player in the global smartphone market.
In a statement, the company and its Board of Directors expressed their gratitude for Zhao’s contributions:
“The company and the Board of Directors sincerely appreciate Mr. Zhao’s outstanding contributions to the company during his tenure.”
Zhao, who has led Honor since its spin-off from Huawei in 2020, described his decision to step down as “the most difficult decision” he has ever made. In an internal memo shared with Chinese media, Zhao explained that his resignation was motivated by a need to focus on his health, rest, and spend more time with his family.
A New Leadership Era for Honor
Jian Li, a senior executive with four years of experience at Honor, has been appointed as Zhao’s successor. Li has held various leadership roles at the company and is expected to continue Zhao’s vision of focusing on innovation and expansion, particularly in international markets.
Li’s task will not be easy, as Honor faces stiff competition from established giants like Samsung and Apple. According to Neil Shah, a partner at Counterpoint Research, maintaining Honor’s strategy of “premiumization” will be crucial to its success: “Honor’s focus on premiumization should continue if the brand wants to build its equity and differentiation, especially in premium markets such as Europe.”
Transforming Honor: Zhao’s Legacy
Under Zhao’s leadership, Honor evolved from being a sub-brand of Huawei to an independent entity capable of competing on the global stage. This transformation was driven by aggressive product launches, including high-end devices like foldable smartphones, and a deliberate push to expand beyond China.
Honor’s market share in China grew from 9.8% in 2020 to over 15% in 2024, according to Counterpoint Research. Outside of China, the brand also made progress, increasing its market share from under 1% in 2020 to 2.3% in 2024.
The company also embraced artificial intelligence (AI) features in its devices to stay competitive. Zhao’s leadership helped Honor carve out a niche in the premium smartphone market, with innovative designs and partnerships with leading component suppliers.
Challenges Ahead
As Jian Li takes the helm, one of his primary challenges will be to increase Honor’s brand recognition outside of China. Neil Shah emphasized the difficulty of this task, stating:
“Many don’t know Honor outside of China. Building brand equity is tough, and the company needs more time, money, and differentiation points.”
With an IPO on the horizon—first announced in 2023—the stakes are high for Honor. The company will need to maintain its momentum in innovation and expand its footprint in international markets to secure a strong position in the highly competitive smartphone industry.
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