Alibaba Aus & NZ managing director Maggie Zhou to step down

The exit of the Alibaba veteran will mark the end of a 22-year career with the Chinese e-commerce giant, but she remains in founder Jack Ma’s inner circle in her new position.

Maggie Zhou has announced the end of a 22-year career with China e-commerce giant Alibaba. Picture: David Geraghty

Alibaba’s Australian chief executive, Maggie Zhou, is to step down from the company, ending a 22-year run with the Chinese e-commerce giant.

Ms Zhou was one of the first employees of Alibaba when it was founded in Hangzhou by the Jack Ma in 1999, having joined it as a secretary and working her way into an executive role.

She moved to Melbourne in 2016 to open an Australian.

The company runs the world’s largest shopping festival – the November 11 Singles Day sales which last year hit a record $US84.5bn ($124bn) in sales — a 14 per cent increase on the year before despite the impact of Covid-19.

Launched in 2009 as a promotional event with only 29 brands, last year’s event saw a record 290,000 brands reach more than 900 million Chinese consumers.

Ms Zhou has played an active role in helping Australian companies access the Chinese consumer market, advising them on how to best market to increasingly discerning consumers.

Alibaba’s global platforms Tmall and Tmall Global have played a key role in helping promote Australian brands including Suisse, Blackmores, Bubs and Bio Island to Chinese consumers. Chemist Warehouse has its own platform on Alibaba selling health care goods to Chinese consumers.

Ms Zhou will move into a role as a senior adviser to the Jack Ma Foundation. The regional offices will be run by New Zealand-based Pier Smulders who will oversee the operations in both countries.

Ms Zhou’s decision to step down follows the departure of two other longstanding Australian executives – James Hudson, who left last November after more than five years as director of corporate affairs and marketing, and John O’Loghlen, who left a month ago after six years as director of business development.

Her move also comes at a time when trade between Australia and China has been affected by increasing political tensions and Covid-19 travel restrictions which have stopped the once thriving tourism trade to Australia and reduced Chinese student numbers.

“When I joined Alibaba more than two decades ago, I could never have imagined the exciting journey that lay ahead of me,” Ms Zhou said on a posting n LinkedIn on Monday. “I’m extremely proud of all that we’ve accomplished as a company, including being listed in New York and Hong Kong, as well as the many innovative technologies we’ve developed that have transformed the way we live, work and play.”

Ms Zhou said her decision to move to Melbourne to lead Alibaba’s operations six years ago had “been one of the most incredible adventures of my career.”

“The experience reminded me of the early start-up days at Alibaba, where I was able to explore exciting new frontiers and ideas and help shape the operation from the very beginning,” she said.

She said it had been an “an honour to have played a part in Alibaba’s globalisation drive and to facilitate cultural and business exchanges that connect our headquarters in Hangzhou with our offices in the region.

“It’s also been extremely fulfilling working with thousands of local businesses here and supporting their growth globally.

“At Alibaba, we have always embraced developing and nurturing local talents and promoting the company’s culture and values through building connections, guidance and mentorship.”