Xiaomi recruits former Tesla China General Manager to head auto sales, report says
Xiaomi has reportedly brought on Kong Yanshuang, the former General Manager for Tesla China, to lead its automotive sales efforts, according to an exclusive report by Jiemian News. Kong, who joined Xiaomi in early March, is set to take over from Li Xiaorui, the current director of Xiaomi Auto, and is currently in a transition period. Last month, Xiaomi launched its new SU7.
According to Jiemian News, Kong Yanshuang is a prominent figure in Tesla China’s executive team, having served as General Manager for the South China region and later as China Regional General Manager. Throughout her tenure, she played a pivotal role in shaping Tesla’s sales network and brand promotion strategies across the Chinese market. Her responsibilities included overseeing the expansion of service outlets in key cities like Guangzhou and Shenzhen, as well as in lower-tier markets.
Between 2022 and 2023, she frequently engaged with media as China Regional GM, discussing Tesla China’s performance, strategic initiatives, milestones at the Shanghai Gigafactory, and new model introductions. In May 2024, as part of a management reshuffle at Tesla, Kong was transferred to lead the Shanghai region’s sales, continuing her involvement in the management and expansion of the China sales system.
An employee from Xiaomi Auto indicated that the company’s retail system was initially designed with Tesla’s model as a blueprint. A significant proportion of current provincial general managers and regional managers within Xiaomi Auto possess a background from Tesla. The addition of multiple high-level executives from Tesla is expected to further integrate Xiaomi Auto’s retail system and significantly boost its overall sales performance.
A leading Xiaomi dealer echoed this sentiment, telling Jiemian News that in the past two years, Xiaomi Auto primarily focused on product and brand building, often overlooking the individual value of frontline sales personnel. This led to a high turnover rate, even among sales staff recruited with high salaries from other new energy vehicle companies. However, since Tesla personnel began joining in November last year, there has been a noticeable shift towards “process, data, and management of people, goods, and venues,” resulting in a marked improvement in frontline sales capabilities.
The dealer believes that with Xiaomi SU7 orders transitioning from an “explosive” phase to a more stable period, strengthening the automotive sales team is crucial. Tesla’s systematic and structured approach to talent development is seen as highly compatible with Xiaomi’s current needs.
Xiaomi recently launched its new generation SU7 electric vehicle. Official data revealed that the new SU7 garnered over 15,000 orders within just 34 minutes of its launch, with cumulative locked orders surpassing 30,000 units by March 23.
