On October 10th, Guan Haitao responded to his departure on social media. He stated, “It has been a great honor in my career to witness Zeekr’s rapid growth, reaching its peak, going public, and then the establishment of Zeekr Technology and returning to Geely. Thank you all for your concern. As my time in Hangzhou comes to an end, I want to thank all my comrades and friends who have fought alongside me. I am grateful for this era, and though the days are long, our bond will not fade. I hope to meet again in the future in green mountains and clear waters. Please continue to support Zeekr and Geely.”
Previously, rumors in the market suggested that Guan Haitao was leaving Zeekr for personal reasons. Regarding his departure, Yang Xueliang, Senior Vice President and Head of Brand and Public Relations at Geely Group, expressed his well wishes in the comments, further confirming the news. While there is no official confirmation of Guan Haitao’s next career move, given his outstanding skills in brand marketing and extensive experience, it is likely that he will join another automotive brand in the future.
Guan Haitao has worked at companies such as Yili and Tencent, accumulating decades of experience in brand marketing and business management. In 2018, he joined Huawei, serving as the Deputy Director of the Marketing Department of the Honor Business Unit and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for China. In 2021, he became the Head of E-commerce at Honor Terminal Co., Ltd., overseeing all e-commerce operations for Honor. In September 2023, he joined Zeekr as the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Zeekr Intelligent Technology, and by February 2025, he was promoted to Chief Business Officer (CBO) of Zeekr Technology Group.
During his time at Zeekr, Guan Haitao made significant contributions. When he first joined, the new energy vehicle market was highly competitive, with many emerging brands and traditional automakers intensifying their efforts. To enhance Zeekr’s brand recognition, as the CMO, Guan Haitao spearheaded several innovative marketing campaigns, such as cross-industry collaborations with well-known technology companies and fashion brands. These collaborations helped attract more consumers from various fields and successfully expanded Zeekr’s brand audience. Thanks to his efforts, Zeekr gained immense attention in just a few years, with rapid sales growth. In 2024, Zeekr delivered 222,123 units, a year-on-year increase of 87.2%, a remarkable achievement in the new energy vehicle market.
However, Zeekr has also faced challenges in its financial development. In 2024, Zeekr’s total revenue was 75.913 billion RMB, a 46.9% increase, but it still incurred a net loss of 5.791 billion RMB, although this loss decreased by 29.9% compared to the previous year. The company’s financial health remains a concern. In the second quarter of 2025, Zeekr’s total revenue was 27.431 billion RMB, down by 0.9% year-on-year, with a net loss of 287 million RMB, which had narrowed by 88.8% compared to the previous year. These figures indicate that Zeekr still has significant room for improvement in cost control and profitability.
In terms of product strategy, Guan Haitao had a clear vision. He emphasized that Zeekr should focus more on the mid-to-large vehicle market, with an emphasis on models priced above 200,000 RMB. So far, Zeekr has launched several models that have garnered market attention, including the Zeekr 001, Zeekr 007, Zeekr 009, Zeekr 7X, Zeekr 9X, Zeekr X, and Zeekr MIX, all priced above 200,000 RMB. On October 11th, Zeekr will unveil the refreshed Zeekr 001, which will be based on the full-stack 900V platform and feature the standard “Qianli Haohan H7” assisted driving system, significantly enhancing its overall capabilities.
For Zeekr, adapting to this change following Guan Haitao’s departure and stabilizing brand marketing and business operations will be crucial. The company needs to quickly define a new marketing and business strategy, integrate internal resources, and enhance team execution.
