Market sources indicate that Hou Xiaohai, the former Chairman of the Board of China Resources Beer, has officially joined CP Group, assuming the role of Chief Operating Officer for the China region.

On January 9, it was confirmed by informed sources that he has joined the company and it was understood that Hou Xiaohai will primarily be responsible for the market and marketing integration of CP Group's consumer goods business in China, including the marketing consolidation for the group's eggs, pork, chicken, food, and feed operations.

After working within the China Resources Beer system for over twenty years, Hou Xiaohai officially resigned from his positions as Executive Director and Chairman of the Board of China Resources Beer at the end of June 2025. His next career move after leaving had sparked considerable speculation.

It was noted that after his departure last year, Hou Xiaohai had been focusing on industry research, thought leadership dissemination, and industry organization building, frequently appearing publicly to deliver speeches sharing his views on organizational development, brand marketing, and the beverage alcohol industry.

In July 2025, Hou Xiaohai released his first personal book, "Braving the World," in Beijing, sharing insights from his 24-year career at China Resources Beer; in August 2025, he attended the 7th China FMCG Conference as a keynote speaker in the main forum, delivering a speech on his thoughts regarding the development of the fast-moving consumer goods industry. Just two days ago, he attended and spoke at the 2nd New Beverage Alcohol Conference held in Chongqing.

In December 2025, Hou Xiaohai also became the founding president of the newly established "China Alcoholic Beverages International Promotion Association," an organization aimed at uniting various stakeholders in the Chinese alcohol industry to leverage Hong Kong's connectivity with international markets and promote the global development of Chinese alcoholic beverage brands.

During this period, Hou Xiaohai's relationship with CP Group grew closer.

During the Shanghai China International Import Expo in November 2025, where CP Group participated for the eighth consecutive year, Hou Xiaohai attended as a Senior Expert Advisor for CP Group's China region; from December 18 to 19, the inaugural session of CP Group China's "Executive Truths" series, the "Digitalization and AI Thematic Sharing Session," was held at the Beijing headquarters, where Hou Xiaohai attended and delivered a thematic presentation on "Strategy, Organization, and Culture."

CP Group is a diversified multinational enterprise group founded in Bangkok, Thailand, in 1921 by Thai-Chinese brothers Xie Yichu and Xie Shaofei. Its core businesses are agribusiness and food, wholesale and retail, and telecommunications and television, while it also has diversified interests across more than 10 other sectors and fields including finance, real estate, pharmaceuticals, and machinery processing. The group's operations span over 100 countries and regions worldwide.

In the Chinese market, CP Group's businesses primarily include agribusiness and food (CP Seed, CP Feed, CP Food, CP Bio, Xinglong Coffee, CP Honey, CP Tea, Suoyiran Natural Mineral Water, Alatiya Coffee, etc.), wholesale and retail (Lotus Supercenter), pharmaceuticals (CP Pharmaceutical), real estate (CP Joy City), finance (Zhengxin Bank), and media (Zhengda Zongyi).