Xin Lang Cai Jing·2026-01-19 09:29Core Viewpoint - The recent leadership changes at China Merchants Bank (CMB) reflect a strategic shift in its retail banking operations, particularly in the credit card and wealth management sectors, amidst a challenging market environment for credit card businesses [1][15]. Leadership Changes - CMB announced the approval of the qualifications for two new assistant presidents, Cui Jiakun and Wang Xinghai, who will also serve as heads of the Beijing and Shenzhen branches respectively, resulting in a new executive structure of "one president, four vice presidents, and two assistant presidents" [1][15]. - Liu Jialong, the former general manager of the credit card center, will transition to a consultant role after years of leadership in the credit card sector [3][17]. - Li Mingdong, previously the general manager of the wealth platform department, is set to take over as the new general manager of the credit card center [5][19]. - Lu Xiaorong, the general manager of the retail financial headquarters, will also assume the role of general manager of the wealth platform department [7][21]. Credit Card Business Performance - As of mid-2025, CMB's credit card center reported total assets of 878.48 billion yuan, with 96.93 million active cards and 69.63 million active cardholders [8][22]. - The credit card transaction volume for the first half of 2025 was 2,020.96 billion yuan, showing a year-on-year decline of 8.54%, with interest income down by 4.96% and non-interest income down by 16.23% [9][23]. - The bank's market share in credit cards increased by 0.3 percentage points despite the overall decline in transaction volume, attributed to the slow recovery of the consumer market [9][23]. Wealth Management Growth - CMB's wealth management business has emerged as a new growth driver, with fee and commission income reaching 20.67 billion yuan in the first nine months of 2025, marking an 18.76% year-on-year increase [9][23]. - The total assets under management (AUM) for retail clients reached 16,597.523 billion yuan by the end of Q3 2025, reflecting an increase of 1,670.809 billion yuan or 11.19% from the previous year [10][24]. Branch Leadership Adjustments - Recent adjustments in branch leadership include Liu Wenjuan being promoted to assistant president of the Nanjing branch, and He Junqian's qualification as deputy president of the Wuhan branch being approved [11][27]. - He Fei, the former deputy general manager of the corporate finance headquarters, has been reassigned to the Shijiazhuang branch as party secretary and is expected to become the branch president [14][28].