GWM has announced the appointment of Andrew Gao as Managing Director for Australia and New Zealand, effective 1 February 2026 .
Mr Gao succeeds Charles Zhao, who will relocate to Europe after leading GWM Australia to a record seventh overall position in the 2025 VFACTS sales results and securing the position as the number one Chinese automotive brand across Australia and New Zealand.
Andrew Gao brings nearly 15 years’ experience with GWM, having joined the company in 2011. He relocated to Australia in 2014 and has held senior leadership roles across sales, network development, product and brand, providing him with detailed knowledge of both the local market and GWM’s global operations.
“I am excited to take on the role of Managing Director for GWM Australia and New Zealand,” Mr Gao said. “I sincerely thank Charles for the strong foundations he has established, from building a high-performing team to positioning Australia as GWM’s largest export market and transforming the brand.”
GWM outlined that its strategy for 2026 will be built around four core pillars: strengthening the product range, reinforcing dealer importance, enhancing aftersales capability, and evaluating the customer experience.
Mr Gao said the business would continue to focus on products tailored for local conditions. “As we enter 2026, we will continue to introduce compelling new products, locally tuned and optimised specifically for Australian and New Zealand customers,” he said.
Dealer support and aftersales capability were highlighted as key areas of focus. GWM plans continued investment in dealer tools, systems and resources, alongside improvements in aftersales operations through expanded parts warehousing and enhanced technical training.
Australia remains one of GWM’s most strategically important overseas markets. Under Mr Gao’s leadership, the company will work with a strengthened local senior executive team as it looks to accelerate growth, with an ambition of becoming one of the top five automotive brands in Australia.
GWM thanked Charles Zhao for his contribution to the growth of the ANZ business and confirmed Andrew Gao will lead the region into its next phase of development .
