HAIDILAO (06862) opened sharply higher, gaining nearly 6%. At the time of writing, the stock was up 5.76%, trading at HKD 15.25 with a turnover of HKD 32.1013 million. The surge follows an announcement from HAIDILAO stating that, effective January 13th, founder and Board Chairman Zhang Yong has returned to the front lines of management to assume the role of CEO. Public records show that Zhang Yong had stepped down as HAIDILAO's CEO in March 2022, passing the baton to Yang Lijuan, who was known as the "top-performing service staff," to lead the implementation and advancement of the "Woodpecker Plan." In July 2024, Yang Lijuan resigned as CEO, and Gou Yiqun succeeded her. Concurrently, HAIDILAO's board of directors welcomed four new directors. The announcement stated that, to support the company's continuous innovation and long-term development while actively honing and cultivating the next generation of the management team, Li Nana, Zhu Yinhua, Jiao Defeng, and Zhu Xuanyi have been appointed as executive directors of the company, effective January 13th.