---
title: "Zong Fuli Steps Down as Wahaha Chairman! Power Transition Reaches a Critical Moment"
description: "Wahaha has once again found itself at the center of public attention. On November 27, an announcement of business registration changes seemed to put a definitive end to the months-long internal turmoil at Wahaha: Zong Fuli officially resigned as legal representative, chairman, and general manager of Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co., Ltd. Her successor is not a traditional professional manager or founding veteran, but a 31-year-old legal background executive, Xu Simin. Although Zong Fuli still holds 29.40% of Wahaha Group's shares, remaining the second-largest shareholder, her retreat from the management core marks the end of the era of full control by the Zong family."
author: "New Distribution"
publisher: "New Distribution"
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published: "2025-11-27"
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citation: "New Distribution. “Zong Fuli Steps Down as Wahaha Chairman! Power Transition Reaches a Critical Moment.” New Distribution, 2025-11-27. https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/zong-fuli-steps-down-as-wahaha-chairman-power-transition-reaches-a-criti-dca54f70/"
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---

# Zong Fuli Steps Down as Wahaha Chairman! Power Transition Reaches a Critical Moment

> Wahaha has once again found itself at the center of public attention. On November 27, an announcement of business registration changes seemed to put a definitive end to the months-long internal turmoil at Wahaha: Zong Fuli officially resigned as legal representative, chairman, and general manager of Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co., Ltd. Her successor is not a traditional professional manager or founding veteran, but a 31-year-old legal background executive, Xu Simin. Although Zong Fuli still holds 29.40% of Wahaha Group's shares, remaining the second-largest shareholder, her retreat from the management core marks the end of the era of full control by the Zong family.

Wahaha has once again found itself at the center of public attention.
On November 27, an announcement of business registration changes seemed to put a definitive end to the months-long internal turmoil at Wahaha: Zong Fuli officially resigned as legal representative, chairman, and general manager of Hangzhou Wahaha Group Co., Ltd. Her successor is not a traditional professional manager or founding veteran, but a 31-year-old legal background executive, Xu Simin.
Despite still holding 29.40% of Wahaha Group's shares and remaining the second-largest shareholder, her retreat from the management core signals that this national brand giant has officially bid farewell to the era of "full control by the Zong family," entering a new phase of multi-party games involving state-owned shareholders, family shareholders, and professional management teams.

**Zong Fuli's Exit, 31-Year-Old Legal Director Takes Over**
Unlike the dramatic "resignation and return" in July 2024, Zong Fuli's departure this time appears calm and resolute.
According to authoritative sources, Zong Fuli formally submitted her resignation as early as September 12 this year, and completed the approval process of the shareholders' meeting and board of directors over the following two months.
This procedural completeness indicates a well-considered legal separation rather than an emotional response.
The most obvious signal appeared at Wahaha's 2025 sales meeting on November 18.
At this important occasion, where the "young marshal" was expected to set the tone for the future, Zong Fuli was notably absent, replaced by the first public appearance of new General Manager Xu Simin. He spoke on behalf of the group, emphasizing that Wahaha had "firmly stood at its performance peak of the past decade," attempting to convey confidence to distributors during the turbulent period.
What is intriguing is the resume of this successor.
Xu Simin, born in 1994, is a law graduate and former head of the Legal Department at Hongsheng Group, deeply involved in the trademark dispute between Wahaha and Danone.
In a company where sales and channels are king, **appointing a young "legal director" as general manager is itself a thought-provoking signal:** Wahaha's current core challenge may no longer be purely market competition, but urgent compliance sorting and legal battles.

**Trademarks, Equity, and the Failed "Family Empire"**
Zong Fuli's exit is not due to lack of capability, but rather being trapped in Wahaha's complex historical legacy. She attempted to unify "ownership" through "management power," but ultimately hit a wall against institutional barriers.
The focus of the conflict centers on two points: **trademark ownership** and **equity control**.
Zong Fuli once tried to transfer the 387 "Wahaha" trademarks from the group to the actual operating entity to streamline brand assets. However, the largest shareholder of Wahaha Group is the state-owned "Shangcheng Cultural Tourism" holding 46%. Without a concerted action agreement, Zong Fuli, as the second-largest shareholder, could not unilaterally push such a significant asset disposal.
More fatal uncertainty comes from the third-largest shareholder—the "Employee Shareholding Association" holding 24.6%.
In the past, this portion of equity was seen as a staunch ally of the Zong Qinghou family, even effectively managed by the Zong family. But with Zong Qinghou's passing, litigation has arisen over the legality of the "employee share buyback" from years ago. If the court rules the buyback invalid or the equity structure changes, the Zong family's control over Wahaha will be further diluted.
In this context, Zong Fuli's team even complained to the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate about the slow handling of local courts, showing the intensity of this "control defense war."
When internal equity and trademark issues—this "Achilles' heel"—cannot be resolved through negotiation in the short term, stepping down from management may be a strategy for Zong Fuli to retreat in order to advance and avoid legal risks.

**Starting Anew: "Waxiao Zong" and Hongsheng's Independent Ambitions**
If you cannot fully control the old empire, build a new castle.
Zong Fuli's resignation does not mean retirement, but a complete shift in strategic focus. **Hongsheng Beverage Group**, which she founded and holds absolute control over, is transforming from Wahaha's "OEM factory" into her true business base.
The most direct evidence is the emergence of the new brand "Waxiao Zong."
After realizing that the use of the "Wahaha" trademark might be restricted, Hongsheng Group quickly applied for the "Waxiao Zong" trademark in May 2025 and announced full adoption starting from the 2026 sales year.
At the same time, the brand KellyOne, which she had invested in but was attached to the old system, was decisively put on hold.
This "cutting off" indicates that Zong Fuli is trying to strip away dependence on the "Wahaha" halo of her father's generation and seek complete independence.
These actions constitute Zong Fuli's "Plan B": **using Hongsheng's complete supply chain and production capabilities to break away from dependence on the Wahaha brand and build a completely self-owned business closed loop.**
The future landscape may evolve into a peculiar "dual-track system": on one side, the "old Wahaha" under the control of state-owned and major shareholders, guarding classic brands and vast channels; on the other side, the "Hongsheng system" and "Waxiao Zong" led by Zong Fuli, representing a younger, more flexible, but also riskier entrepreneurial force.
Zong Fuli's turn marks the complete end of the "patriarchal" Wahaha era. When she leaves the vast system and protective umbrella left by her father and faces the market's storms alone, the true "Zong Fuli era" may just be beginning.


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## Citation metadata

- Publisher: New Distribution
- Author: New Distribution
- Published: 2025-11-27
- Canonical: https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/zong-fuli-steps-down-as-wahaha-chairman-power-transition-reaches-a-criti-dca54f70/
- Original source: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/SjUiEnvXyoN2Vkr1tlLTpQ

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