On June 16th, it was reported that an employee of Sichuan Swellfun Co.,Ltd. (ASX: 600779) sent an internal letter to the company's chairman, alleging multiple instances of "non-compliant" conduct by the newly appointed General Manager, Gan Xiaofeng.
The email, titled "Please Save Swellfun, or Watch Indifferently as It Perishes," detailed four major controversies surrounding Gan's performance of his duties.
First, during his inaugural public speech, he reportedly made remarks considered gender-discriminatory, which were deemed inappropriate for a manager and contrary to workplace equality principles.
Second, he allegedly made a hasty decision to close the Shanghai office without conducting market research, soliciting employee feedback, or performing operational risk assessments, a move that could severely impact business operations in the East China region and the job security of local staff.
Third, he is accused of disregarding the company's established no-smoking policy in office areas, arbitrarily adjusting the rules to accommodate his personal smoking habit, thereby undermining the authority of company regulations.
Fourth, his daily management style is described as overtly bureaucratic, characterized by frequent, inefficient meetings and the assignment of meaningless tasks, which unnecessarily consume employee time and reduce overall team productivity.
The whistleblower stated in the email that the complaint was not a personal grievance, but that numerous colleagues shared concerns over the current management chaos. They expressed hope that senior leadership would address these management issues promptly, implement corrective measures, and preserve a healthy work environment.
In response to these allegations, inquiries were made to Swellfun. A company representative stated, "The company is fully confident in its operations and hopes shareholders will focus more on the operational level. We have no way to verify these situations, nor can we comment on their accuracy. If it's criticism of the company, we accept it with an open mind. For those seeking more information, we have little further to add."
Previously, Swellfun had announced a "Proposal on the Appointment of the General Manager": following review and nomination by the company's board nomination committee, it was agreed to appoint Gan Xiaofeng as General Manager effective June 1, 2026, with a term concurrent with the current board. Zhou Zhiming will cease acting as General Manager from the same date.
Public information indicates that Gan Xiaofeng previously served as Party Committee Secretary and General Manager of Shandong Jingzhi Baijiu Co., Ltd. He possesses extensive experience in FMCG marketing management, having worked for a long period at China Resources Snow Breweries (China) Co., Ltd., where he held positions including General Manager of the Hainan Marketing Center in the Guangdong region.
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