Richard Liu, founder and CEO of JD.com.
Billy HC Kwok | Bloomberg | Getty Images
GUANGZHOU, China – JD.com founder and CEO Richard Liu is taking a step back from day-to-day operations, while Chinese e-commerce giant has said he has created a new role as president.
Xu Lei, who was previously CEO of JD Retail, will take on the role of chairman and take on the day-to-day operations of JD.com and the collaborative development of several of the company’s business units.
Meanwhile, Liu will remain chairman and CEO, but will focus on formulating the e-commerce giant’s long-term strategies, advising younger management and “contributing to the revitalization of rural areas,” the company said.
The latest moves come as China’s tech giants, including Alibaba, ByteDance and Pinduoduo, have undergone leadership reshuffles in recent years, with the founders taking on more of a long-term strategy role.
“JD has a solid management structure with a large number of excellent business leaders, who, represented by Mr. Lei Xu, firmly believe in JD’s long-term business philosophy, proven leadership ability and extensive experience. in the industry, “Liu said in a statement. .
For some time, it has been rumored that Xu takes over the day-to-day operations of the company. Liu has maintained a fairly low profile after his arrest in 2018 in the US on rape charges. Liu was not charged.
Liu still owns about 80% of JD.com’s voting rights. After starting the company in 2004, JD has become one of the largest e-commerce companies in China and has expanded into areas such as healthcare and logistics.
There were two more management moves. Xin Lijun will take on the role of CEO of JD Retail after previously directing JD Health. Jin Enlin has been named CEO of JD Health, having previously been in charge of the company’s market business.
“Looking to the future, the right long-term strategic design, growth and development of young talent and the healthy and coordinated development of various business units will continue to be JD’s driving force to make things more difficult and challenging, but right things and more valuable to the industry, ”Liu said.