Zhou Xing has left SAIC's MG brand and joined Lynk & Co as executive deputy general manager of the brand's sales company, reporting to Geely Auto Group senior vice-president Lin Jie.
A marketer known for social media joins Lynk & Co
The move was first reported by HongParty and was confirmed shortly afterward by Geely Holding senior vice-president Yang Xueliang, who welcomed Zhou to Lynk & Co and said he would report to Lin. Yang also said Zhou was getting familiar with the business and would not update Weibo frequently during that period.
The appointment gives Lynk & Co a high-profile marketing executive at a time when the brand needs stronger visibility in China's fast-moving electrified market.
Lynk & Co needs a louder voice
Lynk & Co was founded in 2016 as a premium brand jointly developed by Geely and Volvo. It has built a broad product matrix across petrol, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles, covering SUVs and sedans.
In recent years, though, Lynk & Co's market voice has become quieter as China's electrification wave has accelerated. The brand still has product breadth and technical support from Geely, but it needs a sharper communication style and stronger public engagement.
Zhou's reputation is built around exactly that kind of attention. Born in 1987, he is one of the more visible younger marketing figures in China's auto industry.
A career built on brand reinvention
Zhou joined SAIC-GM-Wuling in 2011 and later held senior marketing roles, including marketing-centre director and brand and market director. He helped guide Wuling's shift from a tool-car image toward younger users and new-energy products.
In August 2022, he joined Xiaomi Auto as head of marketing, reporting directly to Lei Jun. Xiaomi was then preparing its entry into the auto market and needed a strong brand-building figure. Zhou left after seven months, citing personal and family reasons, and returned to SAIC-GM-Wuling in February 2023 as general manager of brand and communication.
After returning, he handled marketing for both Wuling and Baojun, and helped reshape Baojun across brand positioning, marketing and product definition.
The MG test was harder
In December 2024, Zhou became general manager of SAIC MG's brand division. His Weibo activity quickly drew attention. From August 2023 to February 4, 2024, he posted more than seven times as often as Li Auto founder Li Xiang, according to the article. His follower count rose from fewer than 1,000 to about 220,000, and later approached 300,000.
Zhou used Weibo to interact with users, discuss team plans and ask for opinions on vehicle configurations. He described this approach as open-door carmaking.
The domestic MG business remained difficult. From January to May 2025, MG sold about 42,822 vehicles in China, completing roughly 23.8 per cent of its annual target of 180,000. MG's domestic sales had fallen below 100,000 in 2023 and declined further to 86,000 in 2024.
On June 15, Zhou posted a message that appeared to hint at his departure, and his Weibo verification changed from MG brand-division general manager to no profile description. He later visited multiple brand stores and posted observations as a temporary showroom reviewer.
A new marketing experiment for Lynk & Co
Zhou's move to Lynk & Co gives Geely a chance to test whether a more open, social-media-driven marketing style can refresh the brand's public image. His record shows skill in creating attention and user interaction, even if his MG period did not fully solve the brand's sales challenge.
For Lynk & Co, the immediate task is to turn that communication energy into stronger product recognition, clearer positioning and more effective retail conversion. Zhou's appointment may become the next experiment in how China's legacy-backed brands try to stay young in the electric era.
