Cheng Hong: SAIC Motor Chairman

Cheng Hong was born in March 1961 in Jianshan, Zhejiang Province, China. He is of Han nationality. Cheng holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering and is a senior engineer (professor) and also a senior economist and a Party member of CPC. He has served in various positions such as: HR executive management assistant, dean of the policy research office, manager of Leadership Management Section, deputy manager and then the manager of the engine plant of Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd., deputy general manager of Shanghai Automotive Industry Pudong Sedan Project Team, deputy general manager and then general manager of Shanghai General Motors Co., Ltd., vice president of Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (Group).

As can be noted Cheng had roles of increasing responsibility and has experienced positions in different areas of the automotive organization.  He then became vice chairman and vice-secretary of the Party committee of Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (Group); vice chairman, president, vice-secretary of the Party committee of SAIC Motor Corporation Limited.  Cheng eventually got the top post and is now the Party secretary and chairman of SAIC Motor.

Cheng leads a huge corporation even by global standards; SAIC Motor is the largest auto group on the Chinese A-share stock market. The company offers research, production, sales and logistics services of vehicles (passenger cars and commercial vehicles) and components (engines, gearboxes, powertrains, chassis, interior and exterior and electronic components). SAIC Motor also provides vehicle telemetrics, secondhand vehicle transactions and auto finance services.

The firm has kept its leading position in the domestic Chinese auto industry. It sold 5.11 million vehicles in 2013, a 13.7 percent increase over the past 12 months. It also produced $92.02 billion in revenue.

SAIC Motor’s affiliated vehicle companies include Morris Garages, SAIC Commercial Vehicle Co, Shanghai Volkswagen Co, Shanghai General Motors Co, Shanghai General Motors Wuling (SGMW), NAVECO Ltd, SAIC-IVECO Hongyan and Shanghai Sunwin Bus Corporation (SUNWIN).

Cheng Hong’s name may not a ring a bell to the rest of the world population but he runs a company the size of which only few executives can ever experience running.