Anta Brand CEO Xu Yang Exits Amid Sluggish Growth

On July 15, Chinese sportswear giant Anta Group announced that Anta brand CEO Xu Yang has stepped down due to family reasons. The group plans to transfer him to a new role, and co-CEO Lai Shixian has been named interim CEO.

This leadership change comes just three years after Xu took the helm.

Prior to joining Anta Group in 2006, Xu built a solid background in brand marketing and advertising. During his tenure at Anta, he held several key roles, including brand director and general manager of the basketball division.

His standout career moment occurred during his time at Arc'teryx. In 2019, following Anta’s acquisition of Amer Sports, Xu was appointed general manager of Arc'teryx Greater China. He successfully spearheaded the brand's premiumization strategy, driving rapid regional growth.

After stepping into the CEO role for Anta brand in 2023, he initiated aggressive reforms to elevate the mass-market label's positioning. 

Key moves included signing NBA star Kyrie Irving, accelerating the DTC transition, and rolling out highly segmented retail concepts, such as Anta Sneakerverse or ATSV, a streetwear store targeting young consumers.

ATSV concept store in Shanghai

During Anta’s 2023 Investor Day, Xu outlined a clear goal: maintaining a CAGR of 10% to 15% in sales from 2023 to 2026. He later stated in an interview in 2024, "Within three years, Anta brand will surpass Nike in China.”

However, reality fell short of these expectations.

According to Anta Group's 2025 financial report, Anta brand recorded an annual revenue growth of just 3.7%. This marked a sharp slowdown from the 10.6% growth achieved in 2024, and lagged significantly behind the group's overall 13.3% growth rate for 2025. In the first quarter of this year, the brand managed only high-single-digit growth.

Furthermore, Anta's foray into new retail concepts has encountered friction. ATSV closed nearly 20 stores, and the unit has been consolidated into the brand's sports lifestyle footwear unit, and the "Super Anta" store concept is slated to end its rapid expansion by 2026.

Out of the four CEOs in Anta brand's history, Xu is the only one with a background in marketing, while his three predecessors were experts in sales. There is reportedly a saying within the company: if you haven't been a sales general manager, you aren't qualified to be a brand general manager.

Sources familiar with the matter told Caijing, a local business magazine, that Anta Group founder and chairman Ding Shizhong was not satisfied with Xu's performance over the past three years.

Some industry insiders also speculate that internal power dynamics might be another reason. The distribution of power remains a delicate issue, particularly within family-controlled enterprises.

Although Ding Shizhong stepped down as group CEO in 2023 to focus solely on his role as chairman, his family members have assumed increasingly prominent positions across the organization. 

Lai Shixian is Ding's brother-in-law. Among the second generation, Ding's son, Ding Shaoxiang, has already built a track record at Descente and took the reins at Maia Active earlier this year; his nephew, Ding Sirong, serves as the CEO of Kolon; and his daughter, Ding Siqing, acts as a supervisor for Anta's investment firm.