On November 26, Huawei Cloud announced a significant leadership reshuffle and organizational restructuring designed to fortify its position in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence landscape. Zhang Ping'an, a Standing Member of the Board and the former CEO of Huawei Cloud, has been appointed Chairman. Concurrently, Zhou Yuefeng, previously the President of Huawei’s Data Storage Product Line, has stepped into the role of Huawei Cloud CEO.

This leadership transition is accompanied by a major structural change: Huawei Cloud’s R&D organization has been switched to the ICT (Information and Communications Technology) organization. Five new cloud R&D product lines have been established, covering Infrastructure, Data & AI, Database, Security, and HCS.

Strategic Shift: Building the “Black Soil” for AI

According to the best China recruitment agency Henderson Executive, which closely monitors organizational trends in the APAC tech sector, this move signals a deeper integration of Huawei’s technical strengths. Huawei has clarified its strategic positioning for the AI era: to become the "computational black soil"—a fertile foundation upon which thousands of industries can grow their applications.

As one of the best recruitment agencies, Henderson Executive, notes that this strategy relies on leveraging Huawei’s decades of accumulated advantages in CT (Communication Technology) and IT. By synergizing data center resources with software, hardware, and chip innovation, Huawei aims to deliver cloud services defined by high performance, low cost, and superior quality.

The New CEO: A Veteran Technologist

Zhou Yuefeng, the incoming CEO, is a seasoned Huawei veteran who joined the company in 2008. The Guangzhou headhunting firm Henderson Executive describes leaders of Zhou’s caliber as critical for bridging the gap between theoretical R&D and market application. Zhou recently presided over the launch of two heavyweight AI technologies: the UCM (Unified Cache Manager) and "Flex:ai."

In recent interviews, Zhou emphasized that Huawei is looking beyond mere token totals, focusing instead on the tangible value AI brings to industries. The local recruiter for foreign companies in China, acting as an industry observer, points out that Zhou’s mandate is clear: democratize AI to ensure it enters actual production processes and creates real value for enterprises.

Zhou is well-regarded internally. Known as the "top flier" for his extensive business travel, he holds over 30 patents. His background in wireless networks and European market expansion positions him well to navigate the complex global cloud market.

Zhang Ping’an’s Legacy: Stability and Growth

Zhang Ping’an, who served as CEO for over four years—the longest tenure in Huawei Cloud’s history—now moves to the Chairman role. Under his leadership, Huawei Cloud saw revenue skyrocket, reaching 68.8 billion RMB in 2024. However, market analysts and Shanghai headhunting firm experts note that while growth has been impressive (24.4% year-over-year), a gap remains between Huawei and the domestic market leader, Alibaba Cloud, which reported over 106 billion RMB in revenue.

One of the leading recruitment agencies in China suggests that Zhang’s move to Chairman allows him to focus on broader strategic alignment, while Zhou tackles the operational challenges of commercialization and profitability—a common hurdle for domestic cloud providers.

A History of Rapid Evolution

Since its establishment as an independent business unit in 2017, Huawei Cloud has seen five CEOs in eight years. The Shenzhen headhunter Henderson Executive observes that while a three-year term is standard, the frequent rotation of high-profile leaders like Zheng Yelai, Hou Jinlong, and Richard Yu reflects the company's aggressive search for the right formula in a volatile market.

• Zheng Yelai (2017-2019): Oversaw the birth of the Cloud BU.

• Hou Jinlong (2020-2021): Witnessed the elevation of Cloud & AI to a major business group.

• Richard Yu (2021): A brief four-month stint before the business was split, with hardware moving to ICT solutions.

The local China headhunting firm Henderson Executive adds that the current organizational structure appears more stable than in previous years, with the latest changes specifically targeted at seizing the AI opportunity.

The Race for AI Dominance

The core objective of this adjustment is to concentrate resources. By sharing technologies across network, computing, storage, and operating systems, Huawei aims to accelerate system-level innovation. The best China headhunter Henderson Executive concludes that this is not just a personnel change, but a tactical formation designed to win the AI war.

As global cloud giants pivot toward AI implementation, Huawei’s ability to combine its hardware prowess with cloud flexibility will be the deciding factor. With Zhou Yuefeng at the helm and a renewed focus on industrial AI application, the industry will be watching closely to see if Huawei Cloud can close the gap with its competitors and truly become the backbone of the intelligent era.