Dialogue with Wei Yuna - Customers First, Chinese Enterprises Second, Creating a Digital Future Together

Current industry trends and technological changes are prompting companies to re-examine their core competitiveness, while the wave of digitalization is providing unprecedented opportunities for those companies that are agile, adaptable, and dare to innovate. For enterprises, digitalization is no longer an esoteric concept, but a necessary path to truly improve organizational efficiency and make growth clearly visible. With the increasing demand for digitalization from enterprise customers, enterprises also have higher requirements for their cooperating service providers.

“The market is being reshuffled, companies without core competitiveness are being eliminated, while companies with core capabilities are seeing customers actively returning. The key is whether we can seize this great opportunity,” shared Wei Yuna, CHO of Zhonqi Group & Executive Vice General Manager of Zhonqi Power.

In Wei's view, while customers seem to have become more cautious, overall marketing investment has not decreased, but the demand for digitalization has become even stronger. Economic fluctuations have made customers even more reliant on digitalization to drive business growth. The market is eliminating low-value, low-efficiency marketing methods, while digital service providers that offer professional, high-quality services are experiencing an “explosive period” in the wave of digitalization.

In the first issue of the “Zhonqi Decision Makers Talk About Intelligent Growth” column, we invited Wei, who is very familiar to everyone, to talk about:

• In the digital age, how to manage a team?

• Under the wave of digitalization, how does Zhonqi Power help customers create digital growth?

• How does Zhonqi Group empower teams through a sound talent cultivation system to drive the common growth of customer success and group business?

Zhonqi Editor: From initially joining Zhonqi Group to now holding an important position in the group, could you share your career story?

Wei Yuna: My initial reason for joining Zhonqi Group was very simple: I wanted to use my skills in marketing management. In the beginning, I was mainly responsible for formulating sales policies for subsidiaries such as Zhonqi Power, ensuring that the sales team could efficiently execute the company's strategy. As the company grew and the team expanded, I gradually came into contact with more business areas and participated in the group's strategic decision-making and organizational and talent development work, eventually taking on my current position.

Zhonqi Editor: What challenges have you encountered in your past career development?

Wei Yuna: Speaking of challenges, almost every year, my team and I encounter new challenges. For example, how to interact with industries and clients we haven't worked with before; how to understand and meet the needs of enterprise clients in different fields and at different stages of development; how to help clients accept and effectively utilize digital tools—because each company has different needs, levels of importance, and priorities for digitalization......

Zhonqi Editor: When encountering new challenges or unfamiliar areas, how did you and your team overcome them? Have you summarized any common solutions over the years?

Wei Yuna: When we are in unfamiliar areas, the best approach is: First, don't limit yourself, get involved, and try hard; sometimes, the road will become clear as you walk. Second, keep your eyes open to the world, learn, and delve into new technologies. You must know that this industry changes rapidly; simply copying previous successes will certainly lead to being eliminated by the market. Only by quickly responding to market changes and continuously keeping up with technological developments can we provide suitable solutions for customers at each stage. When our customers succeed through our services, the path ahead becomes clear. And my team and I have opened up a new path.

Zhonqi Editor: As a female manager, what management style do you tend to adopt, and could you share your management philosophy?

Wei Yuna: As a female manager, I always adhere to one principle: to be a warm manager, integrating empathy and care into firm decision-making and efficient execution, inspiring team growth, and creating success together.

I can't say it's a management philosophy, but I'll simply share my management insights. I believe that in today's rapidly developing digital technology, managers need to play three important roles: evangelist, partner, and designer.

First, as an evangelist, I hope to help the team reach a consensus on ideas and goals. In an environment with a lot of information, I guide the team, allowing everyone to work towards a common goal.

Second, as a partner, I focus on building trust and symbiotic relationships with the team. I see myself as a supporter and motivator for the team, creating a work environment full of trust, respect, and equality through listening and empathy. I hope to provide team members with sufficient resources and growth space, helping them bravely “take a step forward” in their career development.

Finally, as a designer, I should design the meaning, design the organizational form, and establish the mechanism. An excellent manager not only solves problems but also gives the team's goals a deeper level of value and meaning. I hope to use a clear organizational structure and incentive mechanism to allow team members to feel the value of their work and connect it closely with the company's overall goals.

I believe that the combination of these three will not only allow the team to better adapt to challenges in the digital transformation but also continuously create value in complex environments, achieving a win-win situation for the company, customers, and ourselves.

Zhonqi Editor: From 2024 to 2025, what new changes do you think have taken place in the entire digital marketing industry, and what trends are worth paying attention to?

Wei Yuna: Overall, the digital marketing industry is undergoing profound transformation and upgrading. Based on our long-term experience and insights in serving customers, the following trends are worth paying attention to:

First, customers seem to be more cautious, but overall marketing investment has not decreased, and customers' demand for digitalization is becoming increasingly strong. Especially in times of economic fluctuation, customers need to achieve business growth through digital means. This trend not only reflects the resilience of the industry but also shows that customers have shifted from simply acquiring business opportunities and brand exposure to building brand trust and paying more attention to the multi-dimensional intelligent interaction effects between the actual business and customers, thereby bringing business growth to enterprises.

Secondly, low-value, inefficient marketing methods are being phased out on a large scale. Traditional, formulaic marketing approaches are struggling to resonate with customers, who often possess a deeper understanding of the industry and products than we do. Therefore, marketing not only needs to be personalized but also requires industry depth and professionalism.

Based on these trends, we have been promoting a refined and industry-specific development strategy in recent years. Only by building on professionalism and providing high-quality services can we take the initiative in the rapidly changing internet enterprise service industry. This is why I believe that the current time is full of opportunities. The market is being reshuffled, companies lacking core competitiveness are being eliminated, while those with core capabilities are seeing customers actively returning. The key is whether we can seize this great opportunity.

ZTE Editor: How have the digitalization needs of enterprise clients changed with the changing market environment? How has ZTE responded quickly to these changes?

Wei Yuna: The most significant change is the considerable increase in customer demand for professionalism and their intense focus on whether the product truly meets their business needs.

To address this change, ZTE began its strategic planning as early as 2023. For example, we have successively launched multiple industry versions of the digital portal, significantly altering the operating status of our clients.

Taking the law firm industry as an example, we have further upgraded and integrated traditional websites, achieving one-stop service encompassing "enterprise media platform + lawyer management + regulations and case law search + customer CRM + online customer service system + multi-terminal adaptation + full-domain coverage." In the past, customers often needed to purchase multiple products from different companies to achieve these functions, which was not only costly but also cumbersome. Now, with ZTE's digital portal, businesses can easily achieve digital operation, and the product design is simple and easy to use, completely avoiding the frustration of "buying complex products but not knowing how to use them." It can be said that the industry version of the digital portal not only breaks through the limitations of traditional websites but also provides customers with professional, comprehensive, and easy-to-use digital solutions, helping enterprises move towards more efficient digital operations.

ZTE Editor: ZTE has always adhered to the service tenet of prioritizing "customer success." How do you define "customer success," and how does ZTE empower enterprise growth through digital technology services?

Wei Yuna: We often say that "customer success is my success" is not just a slogan but a core value that runs through our product design, service delivery, and customer operations. The key to "customer success" lies in truly understanding our customers: understanding their business models, insights into their pain points, and even discovering problems they haven't yet realized. Only with this deep insight can we have the professionalism to engage with customers and stand out from the competition.

Taking our launched digital hospital portal as an example, initially, we thought the core needs of a hospital website were simply security, hospital promotion, showcasing departments and doctors' information, and compliance with relevant policies. However, after in-depth research, we found that the hospital's digital needs far exceeded expectations and were more diversified and refined.

In addition to basic security protection, hospitals also need a series of efficient and practical functions: such as online appointment and registration services to facilitate patient medical treatment; intelligent Q&A to help patients know which department to visit and to understand medication precautions and rehabilitation reminders after medical treatment; connecting to the HIS system to achieve efficient flow of medical information; synchronizing hospital public account article content to maintain consistency of information release. In addition, a medical-patient interaction section covering patient satisfaction surveys, report inquiries, and bidding management is also essential.

These unexpected needs turned our team members into "frequent hospital visitors." Through on-site observation and communication with medical staff, we gradually pinpointed customer pain points and created a high-quality digital portal that truly meets the actual needs of hospitals. This not only helps hospitals achieve efficient digital management and operation but also provides patients with a more convenient and humane medical experience, achieving a win-win outcome for all parties.

This is just a glimpse of how we help businesses grow. ZTE has always adhered to the principle of "customer success first," by focusing on the industry and getting close to customers, deeply understanding customer business needs, and continuously providing digital technology services to create real value for customers.

ZTE Editor: In the face of market challenges, what new strategic plans does ZTE have for 2025? Are there any plans to launch new products or services to help customers achieve long-term development?

Wei Yuna: In the first half of 2025, our core strategic layout can be summarized in three aspects:

First, deepen and release industry solutions. We will focus on releasing more solutions for specific industries to further meet the industry-specific and personalized needs of different customers.

Second, continuously optimize the operation of customer application scenarios. We will pay more attention to the specific business scenarios of our target customers, address their business pain points, continuously improve product value, and meet the personalized needs of different customers.

Third, strengthen the operation strategy of "customer success." We will take customer success as our value orientation, launch more service models that are closer to customer value, and deeply bind with enterprise customers to grow together.

In the future, ZTE will continue to add new capabilities to its existing solutions, and through more refined and industry-specific service models, help customers achieve digital transformation and business growth.

ZTE Editor: ZTE Group has been selected as a best employer for many years, fully demonstrating the Group's emphasis on "people." As a company manager, managing a company is also about managing everyone within the company. How do you design and build the company's talent cultivation system to enable employees to grow rapidly and develop comprehensively at different career stages?

Wei Yuna: ZTE Group has been recognized by the industry as an "employer brand" for many years, which also encourages us to continuously strengthen our emphasis on and cultivation of talent. As a large enterprise with nearly 4,000 employees and a wide range of products with high professional requirements, how to enable employees to grow rapidly at various career stages has always been the focus of our management work. Therefore, we have established two major talent cultivation strategies:

First is the shaping of values. At ZTE Group, we attach great importance to the cultivation and development of employees' values. We have always adhered to positive values such as customer first, a sense of ownership, and a positive winning attitude. We believe that every employee should be respected and included. We listen to employees' voices and strive to maximize their individual potential, striving to help each employee realize their self-worth. I believe that these shared values and culture give ZTE people a strong sense of identity and belonging, driving us to grow together.

Secondly, a complete internal talent cultivation system. To enable better career development for every employee at Zhonqi Group, we have designed a clear job level system and accessible promotion channels, allowing every employee to see their future. Simultaneously, we have established a high-quality training system, providing tiered empowerment for employees at different levels and with different experiences. For example, new employees receive systematic onboarding training and mentorship to help them quickly integrate into the team and master work skills; for middle managers, we have specialized leadership development programs; and for high-potential talent and core personnel, we offer more targeted advanced management training and external learning opportunities. Furthermore, the company's management system and operating model are constantly being optimized, providing strong support for the accelerated growth of employees at every career stage.

Zhonqi Editor: In the rapidly changing environment of internet commerce, how does Zhonqi Group, through the above two talent strategies, help employees achieve career breakthroughs while also building an agile team with both continuous innovation and strong execution capabilities?

Wei Yuna: It still comes back to what was mentioned earlier: Zhonqi Group is a company that highly values its people. At Zhonqi Group, talent development goes beyond mere concepts; from an employee's first day, we tailor internal training plans, including mentors and practical exercises. Simultaneously, the company's promotion channels are open and transparent, allowing capable and ambitious employees to advance quickly. In our team, there are many young managers, such as regional general managers in their 90s, and even city directors born in 1997. Many of these young people joined Zhonqi right after graduation, and their journey from entry-level employees to independent leaders is a result of their own hard work and dedication, as well as the company's talent cultivation mechanism and fair and open promotion system.

Of course, as the scope of work expands, so do the challenges. However, Zhonqi Group upholds a cultural value of 'customers first, employees second,' along with a culture of cooperation, mutual benefit, and inclusivity and equality. Everyone is willing to share and grow together, finding solutions when problems arise. This culture and mechanism allows employees to grow through challenges, ultimately driving the entire team to maintain innovation, execution, and enthusiasm.

Zhonqi Editor: In the Group's talent strategy, how is the core value of "customer success is my success" integrated into employees' daily work?

Wei Yuna: "Customer success is my success" is the core value of Zhonqi Group and the foundation of the company's sustainable development. From the first day an employee joins, we convey this value and continuously reinforce it through daily work, ensuring that every employee prioritizes customer success.

From a management perspective, we will continue to strengthen the emphasis on customer success through systems. For example, while employee performance evaluations previously focused on service processing results, efficiency, and customer satisfaction, we will now focus on metrics such as customer usage activity and effectiveness. This adjustment will not only systematically encourage employees to focus more on customer value but also ensure that employees align with the company's strategic goals, thus guaranteeing that the core focus on customer success is implemented.

The following is a fun interactive segment where we've collected some questions that everyone is interested in~

Zhonqi Editor: As a senior executive of the Group, how do you balance work and life? What are your daily stress-relief methods?

Wei Yuna: To be honest, I feel guilty towards my family because I have limited time to spend with them. Everyone experiences work pressure, but my greatest support comes from my colleagues. Having a group of like-minded, professional, and passionate teammates is the biggest motivation that keeps me moving forward.

Zhonqi Editor: If you could be a superhero, what superpower would you want? Would it be "time management" or "problem-solving in one fell swoop"?

Wei Yuna: It would still be time management, or even better, time extension. I've always believed that doing more can extend one's lifespan. The ability to solve problems in one fell swoop isn't necessary, because we only have customers, and the only "enemy" is yesterday's self.

Zhonqi Editor: Please share some of the most "outlandish" work suggestions you've received in the past, and how you handled or responded to them.

Wei Yuna: Actually, I don't think there are any "outlandish" suggestions. It's just that everyone's perspective is different, and so is what they see. Everyone has their own information gap and blind spots. If someone speaks up, there's always a reason. It's up to us to understand and solve the problem. Including myself, I hope everyone can bravely express their opinions and help each other overcome information silos.

Zhonqi Editor: Finally, please express your expectations for the team in one sentence?

Wei Yuna: Live an infinite life in a limited time! Live your life to the fullest, without regrets.

Finally, welcome everyone to leave a message in the comments section, telling the editor which "Zhonqi Spokesperson" you would like to interview next and what questions you would like to ask. Opportunities to interact with the bosses are rare, so feel free to express yourselves. As long as your questions are imaginative enough, there's a chance they'll be picked up by the editor!