Hawtai Motor Group Co. hired Wang Chaoyun, former deputy sales chief for Chery Automobile Co., to lead its sales operations, according to a Chinese media report.

 

The appointment became effective earlier this month, reported Tencent.com, a Guangzhou-based website.

 

Wang started his automotive career at Jianghuai Automobile Co. in 1984 and subsequently ran Beiqi Foton Motor Co.'s van business. He joined Chery in May last year.

 

JAC and Chery are both state-owned automakers located in the east China province of Anhui. Foton, based in Beijing, is China's largest maker of light trucks.

 

Beijing-based Hawtai is a small-scale manufacturer of SUVs and crossovers. It operates assembly plants in the north China cities of Erdos and Tianjin and the eastern city of Rongcheng. 

 

In 2014, the company expanded an agreement with Russian automaker Derway Automobile Co. to assemble vehicles in the southwest Russian city of Cherkessk. The Cherkessk plant was to produce up to 45,000 vehicles annually.