Former Goldman Sachs partner to lead Alibaba global growth

Hangzhou, China – Alibaba Holding Group Inc. is tapping a former longtime partner at Goldman Sachs to oversee the online giant’s international growth.



Michael Evans, who is also a member of the Alibaba board, has been named president of Alibaba Group, effective immediately.



Prior to joining Alibaba, Evans spent 30 years in global finance, including the last 20 years as a partner of Goldman Sachs, where he served as vice chairman, head of global growth markets, and chairman of Asia, in addition to leadership positions in the Securities and Investment Banking divisions before leaving the firm in 2014.



In his new role, Evans will be responsible for leading and executing Alibaba Group’s international growth strategy to globalize the company and grow the business outside of China. Evans’ early focus will be on forging close partnerships with key brands, retailers and product owners in Europe, the Americas and Asia to help them connect to the China consumer market.



He will report to Alibaba Group CEO Daniel Zhang. Evans will maintain his position as an independent director on the Alibaba board, which he has held since 2014.