In October 2025, Bank of Shanghai Chairman Gu Jianzhong maintained a packed schedule. Public records show he attended the "Bank of Shanghai Special Concert for the 24th China Shanghai International Arts Festival" on October 28, followed by the inauguration of the bank’s Industrial Research Institute and the launch of its first industry track initiatives the next day. On October 31, he also spoke at the bank’s mid-career training program graduation ceremony.
Gu has been highly visible since his return to Bank of Shanghai after a decade away. In May 2025, he was elected Chairman of the bank’s sixth board, with his appointment officially approved in August. Demonstrating confidence, he personally invested millions to increase his holdings in the bank’s shares.
Gu’s ties to Bank of Shanghai run deep. A 1997 graduate of Fudan University’s World Economics program, he joined the bank immediately and spent 17 years there before moving to Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank as Deputy Chairman and President.
However, his leadership faces significant challenges. Recent disclosures from the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges revealed that Bank of Shanghai was the only A-listed bank to see its information disclosure rating downgraded from A to B for 2024–2025, potentially affecting refinancing and M&A activities.
The bank also grapples with compliance risks. In August 2025, it was fined 29.21 million yuan (including confiscated gains) for eight major violations, such as failing to report large or suspicious transactions. The bank attributed these to issues from a 2021 regulatory inspection, asserting all had been rectified.
Once the second-largest city commercial bank by assets after Bank of Beijing, Bank of Shanghai has slipped to fourth place, overtaken by Jiangsu Bank in 2022 and Ningbo Bank by mid-2025. As of Q3 2025, its total assets grew 2.52% YoY to 3.308 trillion yuan, with deposits up 5.51% but loans rising only 2.55%. Retail AUM reached 1.078 trillion yuan (+5.50% YoY), while corporate clients inched up 0.89% to 306,400.
Despite a 4.04% revenue growth (411.4 billion yuan) and 2.77% net profit increase (180.75 billion yuan) for January–September 2025, the bank saw a 6.95% drop in net fee income and a swing to -3.264 billion yuan in fair value losses (vs. +1.11 billion yuan YoY). Operating cash flow turned negative at -154.4 billion yuan, driven by increased financial asset holdings and reduced repurchase activity.
Amid these challenges, the bank approved organizational reforms and a rural bank development plan in its latest board meeting. It also appointed Liu Fang, a post-80s former audit official, as Chief Auditor, filling a year-long vacancy after Zhou Ning’s departure in late 2024.
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