FAW Hongqi Appoints Nie Qiang as Brand CEO, Sets Annual Sales Target at 550,000 Units

FAW Group recently announced a leadership reshuffle, appointing Nie Qiang as CEO of the Hongqi brand, with full responsibility for all business lines—including sales, after-sales service, distribution channels, and brand marketing—under the Group’s Marketing Center (Hongqi Sales Company). The position had remained vacant for 15 months following the departure of its previous head in April 2025. Born in 1979, Nie Qiang graduated from Jilin University with a degree in Business Administration and brings 25 years of marketing management experience within the FAW system. He joined FAW Jiefang in 2001 and moved to FAW-Volkswagen in 2019, where he oversaw network development and sales planning. In 2021, he was first appointed Deputy General Manager of Hongqi Sales Company and Director of the Southern Region, playing a key role in the market operations of Hongqi’s self-developed luxury brand. He later returned to FAW-Volkswagen to lead sales and also served as Chairman of Jetta Technology. In December 2025, he took on the role of Chinese-side Sales Head at FAW Toyota, before returning to Hongqi just seven months later. Hongqi is currently at a critical juncture in its new energy vehicle (NEV) transformation. In the first half of 2026, the brand achieved sales of 136,000 units, with an annual target of 550,000 units. Meanwhile, Hongqi is advancing its “Tiangong” independent business unit reform and plans to accelerate the launch of 30 new models. In July 2025, Hongqi surpassed two million cumulative users, becoming the first Chinese luxury automotive brand to reach this milestone. Hongqi’s current product portfolio includes the H series (sedans), HS series (SUVs), Tiangong series (electric vehicles), HQ series (MPVs), and the Golden Sunflower series—comprising models such as Guoya, Guoyao, and Guoli.