Meng Wanzhou, the daughter of Huawei's founder Ren Zhengfei, has taken on the role of rotating chairperson of Huawei Technologies for the upcoming six months, succeeding Eric Xu.

At 52 years old, Meng will also continue her responsibilities as the company's chief financial officer, maintaining her significant influence within the organization.

Her leadership arrives at a crucial juncture for Huawei, which is in direct competition with Apple in the global smartphone arena. Both companies recently introduced their flagship devices on the same day in September, with Huawei launching its high-end tri-fold smartphone priced at $2,800, directly challenging Apple's latest offerings.

Meng's journey with Huawei began in 1993, during which she has occupied several key roles, including CFO of Huawei Hong Kong and president of the Accounting Management Department. She has notably led Huawei’s Integrated Financial Services (IFS) Transformation Program and has been instrumental in the company’s data management strategies. Since 2019, she has played a vital role in Huawei’s digital finance transformation, emphasizing risk control models and AI-enhanced operations.

Her leadership follows a complex legal situation involving the U.S. government, stemming from her arrest in Canada in 2018. Meng was accused of breaching U.S. sanctions on Iran but was released in 2021 after reaching a settlement with U.S. prosecutors.

As the rotating chairperson, Meng Wanzhou will guide Huawei’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee until March 31, 2025, steering the company through its next phase of innovation and global competition. Despite facing U.S. sanctions, Huawei continues to lead in the telecom equipment sector.