WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesús.
China Mobile announced the retirement of Wang Jianzhou, its chairman, using a statement to “acknowledge the contribution of Mr Wang to the company with the highest regard and deepest gratitude.”
He has been replaced by Xi Guohua (picture), with the operator also stating that it is “confident that, with Mr Xi as its chairman, the company will further reinforce its development based on its existing foundation.”
Xi joined the board of China Mobile in July 2011, with the Wall Street Journal stating that he remains China Mobile’s Communist Party secretary – a powerful position in the country’s state-owned enterprises. He was also previously vice-chairman.
In a statement, the operator described him as “a professor-level senior engineer and has extensive experience in telecommunications management, operations and technology.”
The move comes as part of a management transition that saw Wang replaced as CEO of the company by Li Yue in August 2010.
China Mobile recently announced a solid performance for 2011, while noting that it has faced “intensified competition and increasingly high mobile penetration.”
