Andrew Gao officially grabs the wheel as Managing Director for GWM Australia and New Zealand starting 1 February. He replaces Charles Zhao, who is heading to Europe after hauling the brand to a record seventh spot on the 2025 VFACTS ladder and making GWM the top Chinese brand in the region. Zhao leaves behind a business that has transitioned from a niche player to a genuine market disruptor, and Gao is now tasked with keeping that momentum from stalling.
Gao is no rookie. He started at GWM in 2011 and landed in Australia back in 2014. He has spent over a decade grinding through sales, network development, product, and brand functions. He knows the local dirt and the global boardroom tactics better than anyone. This is not a fly in executive role. Gao has been in the trenches of the Australian market for years, watching the brand evolve from its early utility roots into a diversified powerhouse.
Gao says he is ready to build on the foundation Zhao left behind, which turned Australia into GWM’s biggest export market. The 2026 plan is simple and avoids the usual corporate fluff. Gao wants better products, stronger dealer support, better parts availability, and a customer experience that does not suck. He is inheriting an organisation that is firing on all cylinders, but the next phase of growth requires more than just high sales figures. It requires a sustainable ecosystem that supports the metal on the road.
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ABOVE: Andrew Gao Takes Helm at GWM Australia and New Zealand
The strategy for 2026 rests on four core pillars. First is a product range that actually meets the demands of Australian drivers. Gao has committed to locally tuned vehicles, ensuring that the suspension and tech are optimised for local conditions rather than just being rolled off a global assembly line. Second is the dealer network. Gao views dealers as the front line, not just a middleman, and plans to pump more resources into their systems to ensure they can actually deliver.
Aftersales capability is the third pillar, and arguably the most critical for a brand growing this fast. GWM is expanding parts warehousing and amping up technical training to ensure that as more cars hit the road, the service departments can keep up. Finally, Gao is obsessed with the customer experience, evaluating every touchpoint from the first test drive to the five year service.
The goal for 2026 is clear. Gao is leading a refreshed executive team with the aim of breaking into the top five automotive brands in Australia. It is an ambitious target, but with GWM currently holding the crown for Chinese brands in ANZ, it is well within reach. Expect a more aggressive push into new segments and a heavy focus on keeping customers happy long after they leave the showroom. Gao is not just here to maintain the status quo. He is here to accelerate, as if there wasn’t already a cracking pace.
Legacy brands are warned but seem to be either ignoring what’s in front of their faces, or are so frightened that they are paralysed by fear into a morbid inaction.
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Alan Zurvas is the founder and editor of Gay Car Boys, Australia's leading LGBTQI+ automotive publication. Before launching GCB in 2008, Alan's automotive writing was published in SameSame.com.au and the Star Observer. With over 16 years of hands-on car reviewing experience, Alan brings an honest, irreverent voice to every review — championing value and innovation over brand loyalty.
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