Dong Changzheng took charge of Toyota’s large-scale change in China

Dong Changzheng

Dong Changzheng impression

Those who have met Dong Changzheng said that Dong Changzheng is a microcosm of the professional managers of China's auto industry.

In 2002, Dong Changzheng participated in the strategic cooperation negotiation between Beiqi Holding and Daimler Chrysler. With the advancement of joint venture projects, in 2004, Dong Changzheng invested in the introduction of Mercedes-Benz sedan cooperation projects. In August 2005, after the establishment of Beijing Benz-Daimler Chrysler Automotive Co., Ltd., he served as executive vice president of the company, responsible for corporate affairs and in charge of four important departments: law, public relations, IT, and administrative affairs. In February 2008, Dong Changzheng became the director of industry and government relations for Chrysler China Sales Corporation.

“As an outward-looking and lean professional business leader, Dong Changzheng is highly professional,” said one person familiar with him. “In the early years, half of the people who worked in cars in China were officials, and the other half were joint ventures. Representatives, there are not many professional managers. Dong Changzheng was one of the representatives who stood out from those years."

As a specific implementation measure of Toyota’s “Global Vision for Development”, former executive vice president of Beijing Benz, Dong Changzheng, served as deputy general manager of Toyota China and was responsible for corporate affairs and imported car business other than Lexus. This is the first time that senior Toyota executives have introduced local professional managers. people.

Dong Changzheng’s long-term responsibility for the government’s public relations will help Toyota better coordinate the relationship between Toyota’s two joint ventures in China and Toyota Motor, and at the same time advance Toyota’s already highly closed industrial chain toward higher localization.

Facing the changes in the market and the layout of competitors, Toyota Motor speeds up the pace of adjustment, and personnel changes are undoubtedly one of the important components. According to Toyota's "Global Development Willingness" plan, by 2015, Toyota's global car sales will reach 10 million, and it is expected that China's sales will account for 15% of Toyota's global sales.

Toyota’s top Chinese senior executives are local managers

April is the beginning of the new fiscal year for Japanese companies, and is also the time of Toyota China's internal structure and personnel position adjustment once a year. According to Toyota China, Dong Changzheng will be responsible for “corporate affairs” and import vehicle business other than Lexus after joining Toyota. Dong Changzheng’s vice president’s position is specifically for Toyota’s “global vision for development” in China. For a new post, its job function focuses on "coordinating parties' relations" and "promoting the localization of Toyota Motor in China."

After being the executive vice president of Beijing Benz-Daimler and director of Chrysler’s China industry and government relations, Dong Changzheng became the executive vice president of Toyota China and will become the highest-ranking Chinese in the Toyota China management team.

“The development of China’s auto industry to the present day has gradually shaped the professional managers’ market in China and it has also been adopted by multinational auto companies. For example, Wei Wenqing, who was appointed as the general manager of the Dongfeng Citroen Commercial Department by the Citroën Group in January this year,” said industry analysts. , "But the high level of Toyota Motor has traditionally been controlled by the Japanese, and the relatively conservative personnel system, resolutely decided to introduce local professional managers, means that large-scale changes have only just kicked off."

From the career records of Dong Changzheng, we have seen “rich” professional experiences such as the introduction of joint venture vehicle models, joint venture company directors, and government public relations. These three businesses are even more important for Toyota cars that are trying to accelerate the localization process in the Chinese market. .

Some industry experts boldly predicted that “the joining of Dong Changzheng indicates that Toyota Motor will reform its closed supply chain system and accelerate the increase in the localization rate of joint-venture vehicles, even including Lexus’ localization business.”

In December 2010, Guangzhou Auto Show, deputy general manager of Toyota China, Lexis business chief Zeng Lintang told reporters: "Lexus domestically is certain, but the date is still uncertain."

Japanese cars accelerate in China

In the global development vision recently announced by Toyota, it is mentioned that by 2015 Toyota’s global auto sales volume will reach 10 million, of which sales in China will account for 15% of Toyota’s global sales. Toyota’s strategic focus is shifting to emerging markets represented by China.

In terms of personnel, the Chinese minister, Shinji Kitaru, has been promoted to the post of executive director of China's headquarters and will replace Kato Yamada as general manager of Toyota Motor (China) Investment Co., Ltd. and continue to serve as the Chinese minister.

“Personnel changes are an integral part of Toyota's global development vision. Strengthening the promotion and appointment of localization personnel is an important step in accelerating the localization process,” said Liu Peng, head of Toyota’s China’s propaganda department. Toyota has always conducted rationalization of China’s business staffing. Review and adjust.

In 2010, Toyota sold 846,000 vehicles in China, an increase of about 19% year-on-year. In contrast, Japanese rival Nissan Motors surpassed Toyota's annual sales of 1.024 million units, an increase of 35.5%.

In order to stabilize its position in the Chinese market, Toyota began to accelerate localized R&D and increased its human and capital investment in the Chinese market.

At present, Toyota employs approximately 200 Japanese employees in its market development business in China, India, and emerging countries in Central and South America. According to Japanese media reports, in order to further expand its overseas business, increase marketing capabilities, and expand sales channels, Toyota will draw about 100 people from Japan's strategic planning and sales departments and gradually dispatch to the emerging markets such as China to develop sales networks. Plan new models to promote sales.

The top three Chinese companies in China have different focus

Nissan:

Achieve "localization of the entire value chain"

In September 2010, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., the key joint venture of Nissan in China, rolled off the 2 millionth vehicle. At the ceremony, Dongfeng Nissan released its own brand “Kaichen” and announced that it will move forward with the goal of selling 1 million vehicles in the future.

In March of the same year, Nissan invested 11.76 million yuan to build a brand new automobile design studio in Beijing. Nissan became the first Japanese automobile manufacturer to open a design studio in China. Nissan’s China process was praised by the media as a “full value chain”. localization".

Honda:

"Developing new models for the Chinese market"

Honda Motors, a Japanese company, has started a new round of localization under the leadership of the newly appointed Honda China Minister and General Manager Kurashiki Seiji of Honda Tech (China) Investment Co., Ltd.

In the face of China, which has grown into the largest market, Kurashiki Seiko convinced Honda headquarters to agree to develop a new model of the Honda brand for the Chinese market for the Chinese market. Prior to this, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has been adopting global synchronization and global product development strategies, and has successively expanded mainly in the United States and Japan.