Chinese smartphone brand Oppo says its global marketing president has resigned for health reasons

Chinese smartphone brand Oppo has announced the resignation of its global marketing president Brian Shen Yiren at a time when vendors in the market are being hammered by the impact of the global Covid-19 pandemic.

“Current president of global marketing Brian Shen Yiren will step down from his position due to personal health reasons,” Oppo said in a statement on its official website on Monday. “We look forward to him returning to the Oppo family.”

Liu Lie, who previously served as the company’s brand director, has assumed Shen’s role as president of global marketing as well as doubling as chief marketing officer for mainland China. Liu will oversee worldwide marketing efforts, reporting directly to Oppo founder and CEO Tony Chen Mingyong, the statement added.

Oppo’s management changes come amid the global coronavirus pandemic which has sickened millions and forced the temporary closure of smartphone factories around the world after authorities imposed restrictions on large groups of people gathering in one place.

Oppo, the world’s fifth largest smartphone vendor, earlier last month launched a 5G flagship phone with a starting price of 5,499 yuan (US$784). The Find X2 series, the most expensive phone released by the company, is part of a strategy to promote the brand in mature overseas markets and signals growing ambitions in China’s higher-end smartphone segment currently dominated by Huawei with a more than 80 per cent share.

“Due to the rapid development of Oppo in the global market, we need to adopt a better global deployment,” the company said. “Operating in global markets is not just about selling products to the world, but integrating and utilising global resources as well as continuing to deepen our commitment to each market.”