Jiang, who since 2023 has overseen a division that consistently outperformed other parts of the Alibaba empire, will take the helm of a business struggling to grow during a deep Chinese economic downturn.
Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has appointed a veteran executive the overseer of its entire online e-commerce operation, setting in motion a major overhaul of a vast but struggling business.
Jiang Fan, who currently runs the rapidly expanding overseas retail division, will take over a newly created department that groups all Alibaba’s online shopping assets from Taobao and Tmall in China to Lazada in Southeast Asia. Jiang, who was demoted just a few years ago in part because of an online scandal, effectively becomes the most powerful person in the company after Chief Executive Officer Eddie Wu and Chairman Joseph Tsai.
