Time magazine this week named Alibaba Group Chairman and CEO Daniel Zhang among its list of 100 Most Influential People of 2020.
This year’s list, announced Tuesday, recognized pioneers, leaders, titans, artists and icons across various industries and backgrounds around the world. The list also marked Zhang’s inauguration into the Time 100.
Included with the list’s titans, Zhang demonstrated his influence through his response to Covid-19 this year. In April, he announced the launch of the Spring Thunder Initiative – a companywide commitment to mobilize the entire Alibaba ecosystem to help small and medium-sized businesses weather the health crisis.
“Daniel led Alibaba through the height of the pandemic in China with courage and creativity. He kept supply chains running, supported small businesses and even brought AI solutions to hospitals for Covid-19 diagnosis,” Alibaba Executive Vice Chairman Joe Tsai wrote in a piece for Time that announced Zhang’s inclusion in the list.
Zhang, who took over as the company’s chairman in 2019, is credited as the original architect of 11.11, the world’s biggest online shopping event. Last year, the shopping festival generated a record-smashing $38.4 billion in gross merchandise volume.
Zhang was also a major driving force behind Alibaba’s New Retail experiences, which has resulted in success stories such as the omnichannel supermarket brand, Freshippo. Earlier this month, he unveiled the company’s New Manufacturing initiative – the tech-driven Xunxi Digital Factory, which was recognized by the World Economic Forum as a “Global Lighthouse” driving innovation in the manufacturing industry.
“Very few can keep up with him in intellect and energy, but most will point to his humility and perseverance as hallmarks of his leadership,” wrote Tsai. “In a year in which global economies have been massively disrupted, were we looking for a steady pair of hands or innovation-led excitement? In Daniel Zhang, we got both.”
Click here to read about Zhang’s entry into the Time 100.
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