HONG KONG -- Brilliance China Automotive Holdings' board of directors has announced the cessation of Lei Xiaoyang as the chief financial officer (CFO) of the company. He has been redesignated as a non-executive director of the company, effective July 1, due to his new appointment as the CFO of BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd., a jointly controlled entity of the company.

Qian Zuming has been appointed as the new CFO, effective July 1, replacing Lei. Qian, age 45, is currently a vice president and CFO of Shenyang Brilliance JinBei Automobile Co. Ltd., a 51 percent-owned subsidiary of the company. Qian is an associate member of the Institute of Financial Accountants of the United Kingdom. He holds a master of finance degree from the Graduate School, The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and a master of business administration Degree from The Wisconsin International University (USA), Ukraine.

Lei, age 51, was a non-executive director of the company from June 2003 to June 2005 and was redesignated as an executive director of the company effective June 2005. He has been the deputy chief economist as well as general manager of the Department of Asset Operations in Huachen Automotive Group Holdings Co. Ltd. since January 2003. He was the assistant president of Liaoning International Trust and Investment Corp. from June 1996 to September 2002, and was in charge of the Financing Department, Accounting Department, Strategic Planning Department and Securities Department. Lei holds a bachelor of engineering degree from the Shenyang Polytechnic University and a master of finance degree from Liaoning University as well as a master of business administration degree from Roosevelt University in the U.S.