The Chinese smartphone company, Honor, announced on Friday that its CEO, George Zhao, has resigned from his position for personal reasons.
In a statement, Honor said, "The company and the board sincerely appreciate the outstanding contributions Mr. Zhao has made to the company during his tenure."
Zhao will be succeeded by Jian Li, who has worked at Honor for four years in various senior management roles, according to a report published by CNBC and reviewed by Al Arabiya Business.
In an internal memo published by Chinese media and confirmed by an Honor spokesperson, Zhao stated that his resignation was due to health reasons, and he plans to rest, recover, and spend more time with his family.
Zhao described the decision to leave Honor as "the toughest decision" he has ever made.
Honor separated from Huawei in 2020 in an attempt to avoid U.S. sanctions that were hindering Huawei's smartphone business.
Under Zhao's leadership, Honor launched powerful smartphones with a focus on international markets.
Zhao concentrated on advanced devices, including foldable smartphones, aiming for Honor to look beyond China.
Honor's market share in China rose from 9.8% in 2020 to over 15% in 2024, and outside of China, Honor's market share stood at 2.3% in 2024, compared to less than 1% in 2020.
