Leadership change at Anta brand
Anta Sports Products Ltd has announced that Xu Yang has resigned as CEO of its Anta brand, following a period of weaker growth for the company’s flagship footwear and apparel business.
Anta said he had stepped down for family reasons and would take on another role within the group. Lai Shixian, co-CEO of Anta Sports, has assumed the position of interim CEO.
The Anta brand reported revenue growth of 3.7% last year to ¥34.8 billion ($5.14 billion), representing around 34% of group sales. This compared with 10.6% growth in 2024, while gross margin declined by 0.9 percentage points to 53.6%.
Xu returned to lead the Anta brand in January 2023 after previously being credited with helping develop the China business of outdoor brand Arc’teryx, which Anta acquired through its majority stake in Amer Sports.
During his time at Anta, he focused on strengthening the brand’s position in running and basketball, expanding Kyrie Irving’s signature footwear line internationally and introducing new retail concepts targeting premium locations and younger consumers.
