Zhongyuan Bank Gets Fourth President in Four Years as Zhang Tao Takes Office

Source: Spy Finance

Five months after the position became vacant, Zhongyuan Bank, the largest city commercial bank in Henan Province, has officially welcomed its new president.

According to the bank's latest announcement, Zhang Tao's qualification for the presidency has been approved by the Henan Financial Regulatory Bureau. He will serve as the Company's President, Executive Director, and Vice Chairman effective September 14, 2026. His term will last until the re-election of the third session of the Board of Directors, and he is eligible for re-election upon expiration.

Prior to this appointment, Zhang Tao served as Vice President and Standing Committee Member of the Party Committee of Henan Rural Commercial Bank. In effect, he was "airdropped" from a provincial-level rural commercial bank within Henan Province to assume the role of "second-in-command" at Zhongyuan Bank — a clear promotion.

Succession Context

Zhang Tao succeeds Zhou Feng, who vacated the president's position after being appointed as the new Chairman of Zhongyuan Bank. Zhou Feng, in turn, succeeded former Chairman Guo Hao.

Guo Hao joined Zhongyuan Bank in June 2023, having been "airdropped" from his post as Mayor of Hebi City in Henan Province. He served for less than three years. Shortly after his departure, Guo Hao was stripped of his status as a deputy to the Provincial People's Congress. Based on past precedents, this indicates that he has likely fallen from grace.

A History of Leadership Changes

Zhongyuan Bank has changed presidents four times in the last four years — a relatively rare occurrence among listed city commercial banks.

The bank was established at the end of 2014. Its first president was Wang Jiong, who previously served as Vice President of the Zhengzhou Branch of China Guangfa Bank and President of the Haikou Branch of CITIC Bank. He held the position until the end of August 2022, when he was reassigned as Vice Chairman of the bank. In October 2023, he was transferred to become President of Henan Rural Commercial Union Bank. In February 2025, following the establishment of the restructured Henan Rural Commercial Bank, he became its president.

After Wang Jiong resigned, Liu Kai — then Vice President of the bank — was promoted to succeed him. Liu Kai resigned in October 2025, having served for only two years.

Zhou Feng, who had been "airdropped" from his post as Deputy Secretary-General of the Henan Provincial Government to serve as Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Zhongyuan Bank, subsequently took over from Liu Kai as President. Zhou Feng served for less than four months before being promoted to Chairman following the resignation of then-Chairman Guo Hao.

According to Zhongyuan Bank's announcement, Guo Hao resigned from all positions due to work reassignment. It was later learned that he had been transferred to serve as a "full-time external director" at Henan Communications Investment Group, where he was investigated and fell from grace after moving to the new post.

In June of this year, after Zhou Feng was officially approved as Chairman, speculation arose within the industry regarding who would fill the president's position. Ultimately, a vice president was recruited from Henan Rural Commercial Bank — a former subordinate of Zhongyuan Bank's veteran president, Wang Jiong.

Financial Performance (First Half 2026)

| Metric | Value | Year-on-Year Change | |--------|-------|---------------------| | Operating Revenue | RMB 14.271 billion | +5.2% | | Net Interest Income | RMB 12.011 billion | +8.7% | | Net Profit Attributable to Shareholders | RMB 2.119 billion | +4.2% |

Asset Position

As of the end of the period, Zhongyuan Bank's total assets approached RMB 1.5 trillion, a 5.8% increase compared to the end of last year. Among these:

• Net loans and advances: RMB 728.113 billion, an increase of only 1.6% compared to the end of last year, indicating a more cautious approach to credit expansion.

Asset Quality

• Non-performing loan (NPL) balance: RMB 14.621 billion, an increase of RMB 232 million compared to the end of last year, primarily driven by a significant rise of RMB 466 million in NPLs within the wholesale and retail sectors.
• NPL ratio: 1.96%, remaining flat compared to the end of last year, placing it at a high level among listed city commercial banks.
• Special mention loans: RMB 30.482 billion, an increase of RMB 6.44 billion compared to the end of last year, with the proportion rising to 4.09%. This is a dangerous signal, indicating an increasing risk of potential conversion into non-performing loans.

Provisions

In the first half of this year, Zhongyuan Bank made provisions for impairment on loans and advances totaling RMB 4.106 billion, a year-on-year increase of 71.3%. As of the end of the period, the provision coverage ratio was 170.71%. Although this represents an increase of 4.96 percentage points compared to the end of last year, the buffer remains relatively thin for a listed city commercial bank.

Outlook

For the newly appointed President Zhang Tao, resolving Zhongyuan Bank's non-performing loan risks remains a major priority.

Special Statement: The above content (including any pictures or videos) was uploaded and posted by a user of the self-media platform "NetEase Hao." This platform only provides information storage services.