General Manager, Wuling Motors Nigeria

Wuling’s brand slogan “Made for People” reflects a people-centric ethos focused on practical innovation and everyday accessibility. The brand emphasizes affordable, user-friendly vehicles that serve the daily needs of ordinary people, aligning with its mission of providing efficient and sustainable mobility solutions. In Nigeria, Wuling is positioned as an accessible electric vehicle (EV) brand offering compact, affordable models designed for mass-market appeal and local relevance “Made for People. Made for Nigeria” messaging.

Key Responsibilities & Outcomes: The GM for Wuling is accountable for the end-to-end performance of the Wuling brand in Nigeria. This includes full profit-and-loss (P&L) ownership and strategic management of sales, marketing, and distribution for the brand. Key responsibilities include:

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute a market strategy and business plan for Wuling that achieves volume, revenue, and profitability targets while embodying the “Made for People” positioning. Define product launch plans, pricing strategy, and promotional campaigns tailored to Nigeria’s market needs.
• Sales & Network Management: Drive retail and fleet sales growth through effective oversight of the sales team and dealership network. Set clear sales targets and ensure timely, customer-centric sales operations, from lead generation to closure. Identify high-potential customer segments and partnerships to expand market share. Continually expand and strengthen the dealer network, focusing on coverage in key regions and dealer performance management.
• Brand Development & Customer Experience: Champion Wuling’s brand values in all customer touchpoints. Ensure that marketing communications convey the “Made for People” ethos and that the showroom and service experiences are aligned with Wuling’s people-focused image. Collaborate with the Group After-Sales team to ensure Wuling customers receive excellent post-sale support (maintenance, parts availability, and warranty service), thereby building customer trust and loyalty.
• Operational Excellence: Coordinate cross-functional efforts (sales, marketing, after-sales, finance) to deliver seamless operations and achieve business objectives. Monitor inventory and supply chain for Wuling models to avoid stockouts or overstock. Ensure compliance with both CIG Motors’ policies and Wuling Motors’ standards, including reporting to Wuling’s principals as required.
• Reporting & Stakeholder Management: Provide regular performance updates and insights to executive leadership. This includes preparing weekly/monthly reports to the Executive Director/Chairman on Wuling’s sales performance, market developments, emerging risks, and recommended actions. Serve as the primary liaison with Wuling’s manufacturer (SAIC-GM-Wuling), maintaining strong relationships and advocating for local market needs (product adaptations, support, training).

Commercial KPIs: Success in this role is measured by concrete commercial outcomes. Key performance indicators include:

• Sales Volume & Market Share: Achieving (or exceeding) annual unit sales targets for Wuling vehicles and growing the brand’s market share in the relevant segments.
• Revenue & Profitability: Meeting revenue targets and maintaining healthy profit margins per vehicle. This entails optimizing pricing, managing costs (including importation or assembly costs), and hitting overall P&L targets for the Wuling division.
• Dealer Network Growth: Expansion of the authorized Wuling dealer network (number of active dealers, new cities covered) and improvement in dealer sales throughput. KPIs includes number of new dealerships appointed, dealer sales performance against targets, and dealer profitability.
• Customer Satisfaction & Retention: Ensuring high post-sales satisfaction specific to Wuling customers. Metrics such as Wuling’s Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) or Net Promoter Score (NPS) for sales and service, repeat purchase rates, and warranty claim rates are monitored.
• Brand Metrics: Building Wuling’s brand awareness and perception in the market. Lead conversion rates from campaigns, footfall to showrooms during promotions).

Ideal Candidate Profile: The ideal candidate is a seasoned automotive executive with a strong commercial track record in the mass-market passenger vehicle sector. Key background and attributes include:

• Industry Experience: 10–15+ years of experience in the automotive industry (or closely related sectors), with significant time in sales or general management roles. Experience with affordable passenger car brands or new market entrants is highly desirable. Experience with electric vehicles or introducing new automotive technology to conservative markets is a plus, given Wuling’s EV lineup.
• Leadership & Results: Demonstrated success in driving business growth and exceeding sales targets. The candidate should have led high-performing teams in a dynamic, target-driven environment, and have tangible achievements such as market share growth, successful product launches, or dealer network expansion under their stewardship.
• Skills & Competencies: Strong strategic thinking and business planning skills, combined with hands-on operational execution ability. Must be adept at relationship management – able to motivate internal teams and also influence external stakeholders like dealers and corporate clients. Excellent communication and negotiation skills are required for engaging with the principal/manufacturer and local partners.

Cultural Fit & Leadership Style

• People-Centric & Customer-Focused: The ideal candidate embodies Wuling’s “Made for People” ethos by putting customers and communities at the center of every decision. CIG Motors as a group prioritizes customer satisfaction and consistently strives to exceed expectations. Likewise, Wuling’s brand philosophy is grounded in understanding and adapting to consumers’ real needs.

• Global Mindset & Open-Mindedness: Operating under an international umbrella, the General Manager must comfortably navigate a cross-cultural business environment. CIG’s core values include open-mindedness, a trait crucial for working with Wuling’s Chinese stakeholders and diverse local partners. The candidate should demonstrate respect, flexibility, and curiosity when coordinating with global teams. An openness to new ideas and practices is essential to integrate Wuling’s global standards with local market realities effectively.

• Integrity & Accountability: Honesty and integrity are non-negotiable values in CIG’s culture, and the General Manager is expected to lead by example in this regard. The ideal candidate takes ownership of outcomes and upholds ethical standards even under pressure. They build trust within the team and with external stakeholders by being transparent in decision-making, keeping commitments, and responsibly managing the brand’s reputation.

• Innovation & Excellence: CIG Motors prides itself on dedication to quality, innovation, and continuous growth. The Wuling brand in particular thrives by quickly responding to what people need, rather than relying on old playbooks. The ideal General Manager encourages creative problem-solving and operational excellence in equal measure. They should drive the team to find innovative, pragmatic solutions that reflect local insights (for example, tailoring vehicle offerings or services to Nigeria’s market needs) while never compromising on quality.

• Adaptability & Hands-On Leadership: The role calls for a leader who thrives in a dynamic environment and isn’t confined to a desk. The automotive sector (especially with new EV products and shifting market trends) requires agility. The General Manager should be comfortable rolling up their sleeves to resolve on-the-ground issues and adjust strategies as conditions change. This includes being resilient in the face of setbacks and quick to capitalize on new opportunities. An adaptable, hands-on working style ensures that plans are not just made in theory but executed effectively in practice – the candidate leads from the front, whether dealing with a supply chain hurdle or a critical customer service situation, setting the example for the whole Wuling team.

• Stakeholder Collaboration & Communication: Success in this position hinges on the ability to align and coordinate a wide range of stakeholders toward common goals. Internally, the GM will need to foster collaboration across departments (sales, marketing, aftersales, etc.) and ensure the Wuling division’s objectives support CIG Motors’ broader mission.

We will consider candidates if they have proven experience in any of the following, with Nigeria-market exposure as a requirement:

• Automotive (Primary)
• Senior roles at OEMs or distributors in Nigeria or Africa
• Proven track record scaling mass-market passenger vehicles
• Experience launching new brands or models, especially value-focused or Chinese brands

• Two-Wheeler and Light Commercial Vehicles
• High-volume, low-margin sales environments
• Deep dealer network expansion and territory coverage
• Experience serving cost-sensitive, utilitarian customers

• Consumer Electronics
• Nationwide distribution of affordable products
• Proven ability to scale volume through retail and informal trade
• Strong brand localisation and last-mile execution

• Telecommunications
• Large-scale consumer business management
• Agent and dealer network leadership
• Data-driven customer acquisition and retention at national scale

• FMCG
• Mass-market brand building in Nigeria
• Deep route-to-market and distributor management
• Execution excellence across urban and semi-urban markets

• Asset Financing, Microfinance, Consumer Credit
• Structuring financing for low- and middle-income consumers
• Experience with lease-to-own, asset finance, or high-volume credit products
• Partnerships with dealers, platforms, or mobility businesses

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