Dong Mingzhu doesn't like makeup, but he likes to wear long skirts.
Chen Luyu interviewed her in Zhuhai. Early in the morning, the two men walked hand in hand in Zhuhai. Dong Mingzhu wore a yellow printed dress, surrounded by a camel shawl and a gray round hat. This relaxed and beautiful dress, Let Lu Yu also feel a little surprised.
'You guess how much this dress?' After the two got on the bus, they chatted about the skirt. Dong Mingzhu smiled like a girl, 'only more than 100 dollars, bought in Greece.'
She knows that the outside world has put on a lot of hats for herself: the overbearing president, the business iron lady, the net red entrepreneur. But in her heart, there is still a gentle look. A soft dress, often let her see her for the first time. The man immediately subverted the impression of 'the Dong Mingzhu' in his mind, and the smelting of steel became a soft finger.
The long skirt makes Dong Mingzhu look a lot younger than the actual age.
Dong Mingzhu, 64, will continue to hold Gree Electric? This is a problem that the outside world has been paying attention to. In May this year, Dong Mingzhu took the initiative to respond: 'The Internet has been very troublesome recently. Dong Mingzhu will not retire? Although I have already I am in my 60s, but I think I am still very young. My heart is still like 25 years old. '
Since entering Gree in 1990, Dong Mingzhu has been working in Gree for nearly 30 years. She has witnessed the ups and downs of Chinese manufacturing companies in the tide of market economy, and also personally experienced the struggle process of Gree as a private enterprise from small to large. With her own words In the future, there is still a game, and we still have to compete.
In the era of barbaric growth, change is king
In 1990, the market economy was warm and cold in China. Dong Mingzhu left his hometown of Nanjing and went to the Zhuhai Special Economic Zone on the forefront of reform and opening up. That year, she was 36 years old.
However, Dong Mingzhu did not have much ambition at the time. 'The reason for coming here is not because there is gold everywhere, but because of the environment here.' Dong Mingzhu told China News Weekly that she just came to Zhuhai and fell in love with it. The beauty can bring her inner peace. 'If you want to make money, going to Shenzhen should be a better choice.'
Dong Mingzhu found a job and sales in an air-conditioning company called 'Haili'. This company is the predecessor of Gree Electric in the future.
'At that time, the company was very small, only a hundred people, and it was said that it was a handicraft workshop. ' Dong Mingzhu recalled that air conditioning was still a new industry at that time, but most manufacturers produced air conditioners, which have no technical content, relying on Buying parts for assembly, 'all parts depend on purchase, including the outer casing.'
Relying on assembly and OEM sales, the company's annual sales are only 20 to 30 million.
'At that time, the fate of the entire enterprise was in the hands of the sales staff. ' Dong Mingzhu said that for a small factory, it can be supported by sales. As a newcomer, Dong Mingzhu followed the old salesman to go to Nanbei. At that time, the sales were in the company. It belongs to the high-income group. When Dong Mingzhu just worked, the sales commission was 2%, and the sale of 1 million yuan could take 20,000 yuan.
However, the survival pressure of enterprises is also on the sales. Gree suffered a serious inventory backlog in 1994. 'Products can't be sold, a large backlog of stocks, the company is very anxious from top to bottom.' Dong Mingzhu said, at that time The corporate triangle debt is very serious. The company owes money to the upstream suppliers. The downstream agents owe the company's money, and they still owe the bank's money. The enterprises mainly rely on bank loans to support them. 'In the case of such debts, Enterprises rely more on sales people. '
At that time, China's market economy was still at the stage of exploration, and the markets in all fields were in a state of barbaric growth.
'At that time, there was no need to talk about the technical content. Just do a good job and sell the air conditioner.' Dong Mingzhu recalled that at that time, most of China's manufacturing industry was not very good in quality, and Gree was no exception. The sales staff feels particularly strong.
'At that time, the product repair rate was very high. If it was a batch problem, it would be even worse. So when I was doing sales, I felt very strong.' Dong Mingzhu said that the four-year sales experience has made her see the existence of the company. problem.
In 1994, Gree suffered a serious crisis, and the company's sales staff suddenly ' collectively resigned'.
'Our salesman took the customer to the competitor to go to the competition. This is a very dangerous stage. Gree may fall down at any time. 'Tong Mingzhu was appointed to the position of the company's operation department. This is the first time for her career to take off. 3. The opportunity is also a turning point for Gree Electric.
'The first thing I came back to as a minister, in addition to reorganizing the sales team, it was more important to put forward quality requirements for the company. At that time, I began to have a new understanding of quality control. 'Tong Mingzhu recalls, 'former parts If you fail, you can go online, including the technical system. There are no standards. Even if there are no drawings, it is a certain person who has the final say. His standard is the standard of the product, and he can make decisions in selecting suppliers. He thinks Ok is good. '
As the operating director, Dong Mingzhu has completely changed the marketing system and completely broke the situation that the company's destiny is attached to the salesman. She also proposed to promote quality through sales and promote sales through sales. Under her promotion, Gree in 1995 In the year of the second half of 1997, Gree set up a cost office to carry out cost accounting to solve various problems such as excess material and cost control on the production line.
Dong Mingzhu did not hide his meaning of adhering to Gree. In 1994, if it weren't for me, Gree did have a catastrophe.
Guangdong Zhuhai Gree Electric's employees went to work at the factory. 'At that time, Chunlan, Huabao, Hualing, air conditioning were no worse than us. Why did Gree succeed in the end?' Dong Mingzhu said that the final facts prove that many competitors have declined, but Gree has weathered the crisis again and again. The fundamental reason is that enterprise development has begun to embark on the path of self-regulation, strengthening quality control and internal management.
'Harmony is the struggle'
In 2001, Dong Mingzhu became the general manager of Gree Electric. Since then, like a surgeon, she has never stopped picking up problems for the company.
'I did a big thing when I became a general manager, that is, team building. In fact, the company has already had a new crisis. This kind of crisis is a significant increase in the internal power trading of the company. 'This kind of thing, the sand is not allowed in the eyes. For Dong Mingzhu, it is indispensable.
The internal rectification of the mountains and the sea came to the fore, and the problems found were also shocking. A small technician was able to build a supporting factory on the outside, claiming to be imported from South Korea, and encroaching on tens of millions of funds. No one knows.
Around 2001, due to problems with the management team, Gree also experienced a strike. 'Why do employees strike? It is dissatisfied with the manager. You give me benefits, I will give you a high salary. If you don’t respect me, then be honest again. Working hard, the treatment is also the lowest. 'Tong Mingzhu said, therefore, Gree reorganized the team, began to deepen internal management, and improved various systems. 'I asked the cadres to lead by example, these languages are placed in the present, everyone feels like it is out of place, But precisely because of this, Gree Electric has been well developed.
In 2003, Gree's revenue achieved a breakthrough of 10 billion. Enterprises entered the fast lane of development, but even bigger problems and challenges came one after another. Some agents in the sales system became difficult to get the 'thornhead'.
'Henan has a dealer, he is very famous in the local. We had a lot of rules at the time, he did not follow the rules, but also ran over to make trouble, we can only punish him more than 3 million yuan rebate. 'Dong Mingzhu said, distribution The merchant found the chairman’s complaint and said good things. The chairman heard that the other party was so loyal to Gree, and suggested that Dong Mingzhu give him the rebate. 'That I am determined not to do, resolutely not. If you give him the rebate, this is all for the whole country. The dealers are unfair. 'Dong Mingzhu said.
For the sales system, Dong Mingzhu is more confident than anyone. 'I have not made mistakes in the marketing system for so many years.' Dong Mingzhu said that from beginning to end, she has been constantly improving the sales system and constantly establishing a new one. Mode to meet the needs of market development.
'I have a lot of measures against the construction of sales channels. Many people have oppressive feelings.' Dong Mingzhu said that this kind of 'oppression' is not for you to do anything, but to be under the same rules, not to be opportunistic, 'so Those who want to speculate feel very uncomfortable. '
Along the way, Dong Mingzhu seems to be fighting forever, and there will always be an endless battle.
In 2004, Gome, the chain hypermarket that occupied the channel advantage, announced the price cut unilaterally. Dong Mingzhu was attending the National People's Congress in Beijing at that time. After learning that he was directly angry, he immediately stopped supplying to Gome. Soon, Gome Beijing headquarters sold to the whole country. The branch ordered Qingli to clear the market and clear the inventory. The contradictions between the two sides suddenly escalated, and the relationship deteriorated drastically. However, Dong Mingzhu never gave up, and immediately announced the withdrawal of Gome and self-built channels.
Dong Mingzhu said that when he made up his mind and broke the big chain, the company was also very worried inside. 'My top leader told me that after the break, what should we do in the future?' Dong Mingzhu has confidence, 'other brands are not Opening a big chain is because there is no confidence in its own products. We hope to sell the products through big chains. We have quality, reputation, and we are not afraid. Others like Gree, naturally will come to my channel to buy.
Dong Mingzhu recalled that she was very fortunate that she had many controversial decisions at the time, and finally she was supported by Zhu Jianghong, the then chairman. For Dong Mingzhu, whose personality is not flattering, Zhu Jianghong is her Bole.
'Although sometimes we have different opinions on many decisions, but basically it is based on my decision. 'Dong Mingzhu said frankly, 'In this regard, the chairman is very supportive of me and trusts me very much.'
In 2012, she was successfully elected as the chairman of Gree Electric. From then on, Gree really entered the Dong Mingzhu era.
At this time, Dong Mingzhu is 58 years old. It has been 22 years since she entered Gree. She feels that she has come through the challenge all the way. 'I have been saying a word, harmony is a struggle. You only have to keep on Clean up those lame things to be more combative.'
'Dong Mingzhu successfully learned'
Just the day before Dong Mingzhu was interviewed by China News Weekly, on June 25, Gree Electric just opened its annual shareholder meeting at Zhuhai headquarters. This shareholder meeting received unprecedented attention, and more than 500 shareholders attended the shareholders meeting. , 108 institutional investors, and even more than 100 shareholders holding 100 shares came to the scene.
Gree Group staff told China News Weekly that the shareholders meeting had not invited the media, but more than 10 media reporters attended the meeting as shareholders. 'They all bought Gree stocks.'
At the shareholders meeting, all shareholders and journalists are most concerned about a topic that is not within the scope of the issue: Will Dong Mingzhu retire?
In fact, on May 31, Dong Mingzhu has already ushered in the last day of his second term. On this day, the tenth board of directors of Gree Electric Appliances and the board of supervisors have expired. Gree has announced that the company's board of directors and board of supervisors will be announced. The general election will be postponed. However, the specific time for the general election has not been released. Dong Mingzhu’s going and staying is still unknown.
At this general meeting, Dong Mingzhu did not give a clear answer. However, she used a set of performances to tell the outside world what Dong Mingzhu's existence means for Gree.
In the opening speech, Dong Mingzhu deliberately divided the history of Gree Electric into three stages: Zhu Jianghong era, Zhu Dong cooperation era, Dong Mingzhu era, she listed the performance data of each stage, in order to 'speak with facts'.
Dong Mingzhu said that Gree Electric did not have real profits from 1991 to 1994. In 1995, it was subversive (revenue exceeded RMB 2.5 billion, and its profit was over RMB 100 million). 'That year was the one that really made Gree Electric profitable. In the year, most of the reason was because Dong Mingzhu, because that year I came back to charge sales, the head of the business department, or a deputy minister.
In 2001, I became the general manager. In 2011, together with Chairman Zhu Jianghong, the accumulated revenue was 349.3 billion yuan. In the six years from 2012 to 2017, the accumulated revenue was 720.9 billion yuan. From 2001 to 2011, the cumulative The profit is more than 18 billion yuan, and the accumulated profit from 2012 to 2017 is more than 80 billion.
'2012 to 2017, the six-year revenue of more than 700 billion, twice as much as in the past, because I have the final say. 'She does not hide her value to the company.
'If I retire, I will give the country, the shareholders, and the employees a satisfactory answer. 'Tong Mingzhu told China Newsweek, which makes her very proud.
However, some of Dong Mingzhu's decisions have caused a lot of controversy. In 2015, Dong Mingzhu suddenly announced that Gree would be a mobile phone. Choosing to enter the mobile phone industry is undoubtedly a rush into the Red Sea. Many people think that this is Dong Mingzhu's wayward decision. From the market reaction, there are few market reactions in Gree and second generation mobile phones.
This decision has been controversial and questioned until now, but Dong Mingzhu does not admit that Gree mobile phone failed. 'Many people said that they can't see it in the market, they can't buy Gree mobile phones, so they failed. I didn't do promotion at all. How do you think I have failed?' Dong Mingzhu told China News Weekly that the mobile phone business has not affected the performance of Gree Electric. This is the most important. 'Although doing mobile phones, Gree’s net profit margin still reaches 15%. I did development and technical research without affecting the business. '
She never intended to admit defeat, nor gave up. In her decision to make a mobile phone, she said more than once, 'I will definitely continue to do mobile phones.' At the shareholders meeting on June 25, she once again stated: 'Everyone is not optimistic about my smart equipment, mobile phones and chips. As long as I am the chairman of the board, I must do these things because I have to control my destiny in my own hands.'
In addition to mobile phones, Dong Mingzhu’s bigger dream is to be a chip. At the shareholders’ meeting, Dong Mingzhu responded to this matter with his own humor. She said, 'This year I want to make chips, stocks will fall, why do other people’s chip stocks rise? Gree will fall on the chip, because Dong Mingzhu is going to do it!'
'Now our air conditioner has its own compressor, its own motor, its own electronic control, a series of products are in their hands, the only thing to solve in the future is the chip. 'The logic of Dong Mingzhu is as always, she decided to What I have done, has nothing to do with money, has nothing to do with technology, and is related to confidence. 'I don’t think it’s a question of size, but a question of your confidence. I always feel that others can make it, and we should be able to make it, no. The reason can't be done.'
In April 2018, Gree released the 2017 annual report and decided not to pay dividends in the same year. This decision triggered some investor dissatisfaction and the stock price fell. Dong Mingzhu’s decision also made many people worry about her, whether it would offend a large number. The minority shareholders have brought resistance to the re-elected chairman.
Because this does not meet Gree's practice and investors' expectations. Since its listing in 1996, Gree Electric has distributed a total of 19 dividends, with a cumulative dividend of 41.792 billion yuan, and a dividend rate of 40.96%. In 2016, Gree Electric delivered a total of 10.828 billion. Yuan's cash red envelope.
At the shareholders meeting, in the face of the previous non-dividend incident, Dong Mingzhu said: 'According to the usual dividends, I have at least nearly 100 million, but I don't have any points. I am thinking about Gree's future competitiveness. I think I don't want to divide. After the second year, Gree's competitiveness has declined. Do you hope?'
'Today's non-dividend, for more dividends tomorrow. If you must choose today's dividends, and give up more dividends in the future, I think I want to screw up this enterprise. 'Tong Mingzhu told China News Weekly The company needs to pay dividends from the strategic pattern, and rational investors should be able to accept it.
Dong Mingzhu is ready to continue to wear a jersey and complete a bigger dream for Gree. At the shareholders meeting, Dong Mingzhu disclosed the latest industrial plan, which is divided into air conditioning, high-end equipment, lifestyle products and communication equipment companies. Block. Especially the communication equipment sector, IoT devices, mobile phones, chips and big data. Dong Mingzhu revealed that at present, Gree's chip purchases are close to 5 billion yuan a year, and next year Gree air-conditioning strives to use independent chips.
The support of the new leadership team in Zhuhai gave Dong Mingzhu greater confidence.
In February of this year, the former member of the Standing Committee of the Shenzhen Municipal Committee and Secretary-General Guo Yonghang became the secretary of the Zhuhai Municipal Party Committee. On the evening of May 16, 2018, Gree held the "Gree 2018 Re-launching" dream ceremony in Zhuhai. Guo Yonghang not only attended the party, but also publicly stated: 'I wish the young Dong Mingzhu to lead the young Gree, and the bigger the business, the stronger it will be.'
This statement was widely interpreted by the outside world as Dong Mingzhu was recognized and supported by Zhuhai's new leadership team and is expected to continue to serve as chairman.
'I have seen him (Guo Yonghang) 5 times. 'Dong Mingzhu said, 'We really feel the support the government gave us.'
Dong Mingzhu served Gree for 28 years. She smiled and said, 'Along the way, you can say that all the way is fighting.'
'I said that I am a very strong person. Many hats are worn on my head. But I am not making decisions for my own profit. It is a decision for the public interest. I believe that I will get the support of most people. Compared with the outside evaluation, Dong Mingzhu cares more about whether the company has developed and benefited. 'Everything will offend some people, especially some vested interests. But for the benefit of the public, these people must be offended, no Offended no Gree appliances today. '
For her own success, she also summed up her own 'Dong Mingzhu's success in learning': Efforts are necessary, but there are still good opportunities, because there is an opportunity for reform and opening up, and then there are conditions to play. But this opportunity It is for those who have real dreams, not for those who are opportunistic.