Arm China announced on February 6th, 2025 that it has appointed Feng Chen as its new CEO, following the departure of co-CEOs Renchen Liu and Eric Chen. Before this appointment, Feng Chen held key positions at SMIC (Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation), where he served as the Director of the Design Services Department and Head of the Department.
With extensive industry experience, Feng Chen previously worked as a researcher at Nokia Bell Labs in the US, focusing on mobile chip design and R&D. He also served as the Vice General Manager of Chinese IC design company Rockchip, where he led product planning and marketing operations before his recent departure.
According to the company's announcement, Feng Chen will assume the role immediately, while former co-CEOs Renchen Liu and Eric Chen will transition to advisory positions.
The leadership change comes amid a series of significant personnel changes and challenges that Arm China has faced since its establishment. These developments have complicated the company's management and overall strategy in the Chinese market.
Management tensions emerged in 2018 between Arm China and Arm Holdings due to complex shareholder structures and differences in strategic direction. Subsequently, frequent executive changes raised concerns about the company's governance and future stability.
A particularly significant disruption occurred in 2020 when then-CEO Allen Wu's management style and strategic decisions were questioned by Arm Holdings. This led to a complex and prolonged internal power struggle with the parent company.
Initially, Allen Wu maintained his position as CEO with support from local Chinese shareholders. However, as the board and Arm Holdings established stronger control over Arm China, Wu ultimately stepped down from the CEO role and left the company.