In a company-wide email, Zhan Zhonghui, the head of Lingxi Games, announced his intention to step down along with two other executives by the end of March. Zhou Bingshu, a seasoned game producer, is set to take over as the new head of Lingxi Games.
With Zhou in his mid-thirties and Zhan approaching 50, this transition signifies a move towards younger leadership in the gaming industry. According to Reuters, the current leadership team decided to step down to allow the younger management team to grow.
Embracing Youthful Leadership
Parent company Alibaba has made it a priority to promote individuals born after 1985 to management positions. This strategy aims to help the tech giant maintain a startup mentality and avoid becoming entrenched in old ways.
Lingxi Games is well-known for its mobile hit “Three Kingdom Tactics,” which generated over $1 billion in revenue within its first two years, as reported by SensorTower. Founded by Zhonghui after his time at NetEase, the company was acquired by Alibaba in 2017, rebranding as Lingxi Games.
As part of a comprehensive restructuring effort, Alibaba has adopted a holding company management model and divided its business into six primary units, according to Reuters. Additionally, leadership changes have taken place within Alibaba’s domestic e-commerce, cloud, and local services divisions over the past year.
