Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has reinstated its international e-commerce chief into a so-called “partnership” of influential executives after he was demoted and ousted from the group in 2020 following an online scandal.
(Bloomberg) — Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. has reinstated its international e-commerce chief into a so-called “partnership” of influential executives after he was demoted and ousted from the group in 2020 following an online scandal.
Jiang Fan’s return to the partnership was revealed in Alibaba’s annual report on Friday. Jiang has served as president of the unit since January 2022, before Alibaba announced a corporate overhaul to split into six parts. The restructuring promises to yield several initial public offerings, including Jiang’s overseas online shopping unit.
The digital commerce division saw rapid growth under Jiang, with revenue up 29% for the quarter ended March 31 compared with the same period a year earlier. The combined order volume of its retail businesses grew 15% during that time.
Jiang was removed from the partnership, which is comprised of 38 people who influence the board’s makeup, after his wife took to social media to warn another woman not to “mess with” her husband. The post ignited a frenzy of online speculation about an affair and questions about Alibaba’s business decisions and investments. The episode became a public relations debacle for the firm.
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