Anta loses the CEO hired to take it upmarket
Xu Yang’s exit leaves China’s biggest sportswear group asking whether mass-market scale and premium brand building can truly coexist.
Xu Yang stepped down as Anta brand CEO on July 15 after three years, having taken revenue past 30 billion RMB ($4.4 billion) in 2023 before growth slowed to 3.7% in 2025. His exit tests whether a mass-market sportswear brand can premiumize without the scale advantages that built it. Image: Anta
Xu Yang stepped down as Anta brand CEO on July 15 after three years, having taken revenue past 30 billion RMB ($4.4 billion) in 2023 before growth slowed to 3.7% in 2025. His exit tests whether a mass-market sportswear brand can premiumize without the scale advantages that built it. Image: Anta
