Several Senior Executives Exit Zhipu AI: Chief Strategy Officer Zhang Kuo and Vice President Qu Teng Follow Suit, CFO Peng Jianbiao Leaves in May, and COO Zhang Fan Departs in July

As per 'Workplace Bonus', the CFO of Zhipu AI, Peng Jianbiao, tendered his resignation in May of this year. Beijing Zhipu Huazhang Technology Co., Ltd. ('Zhipu AI'), the first large-model startup among the AI sector's 'Six Little Dragons' to officially kick off IPO proceedings, has witnessed several alterations in its senior leadership since registering for pre-listing counseling. This has garnered considerable attention from the market.

Following the resignation of Zhipu AI's CFO (Chief Financial Officer), Peng Jianbiao, in May 2025, the COO (Chief Operating Officer), Zhang Fan, also bid farewell in July of the same year. Earlier, the Chief Strategy Officer, Zhang Kuo, and the Vice President, Qu Teng, had already left in January 2025.

According to publicly available information, Peng Jianbiao joined Zhipu AI in May 2023, taking charge of financial analysis, investment, and financing management. His personal social media account reveals that he left Zhipu AI in May 2025. Kenneth, as he was also known, had previously served as the CFO at Magic Data (Aishu Zhihui) and as a Mergers and Acquisitions Advisory Partner at KPMG China Hong Kong. With over a decade of experience in the financial realm, he had long held senior financial positions. At present, both Peng Jianbiao's public LinkedIn profile and personal social media accounts confirm his official departure from Zhipu AI in May 2025.

These executive shake-ups occur against the backdrop of Zhipu AI's progression through its critical IPO phase. Earlier media coverage indicated that on April 15, 2025, Zhipu AI completed its pre-listing counseling registration with the Beijing Securities Regulatory Bureau, with China International Capital Corporation acting as its pre-listing counseling entity. This positions the company as the inaugural member among the AI 'Six Little Dragons' to officially embark on IPO proceedings. Internal sources reveal that Zhipu AI initially aimed to wrap up its pre-listing counseling by October 2025, paving the way for subsequent IPO filings.

The departure of a CFO following a company's pre-listing registration often stems from a combination of factors. These include proactive strategic shifts by the company and passive elements like financial compliance pressures and shifts in the market landscape. Nevertheless, it's crucial to note that CFO departures and business realignments post-pre-listing counseling registration are commonplace in the capital market. Their justification hinges on the motivations behind the executives' exits and the ensuing response strategies.

It's worth highlighting that Zhipu AI's pre-IPO personnel shifts continue to be a hot topic within the industry. Recently, there have been whispers that Zhipu AI 'abruptly downsized certain model application teams, disbanding entire departments on the spot, with compensation set at N+1 and options repurchased at the original price'.

At present, Zhipu AI has not publicly addressed the specific reasons behind the executive departures and team restructuring, nor has it commented on the progress of its subsequent pre-listing counseling. As a frontrunner in the AI large-model domain, Zhipu AI's IPO journey and team stability will remain under the industry's microscope.