Why Alibaba Dropped Its Group CTO Role and What It Means for Tech Leadership

Alibaba has restructured its technology organization after splitting its business groups and allowing Taobao and Tmall to operate independently, leading to the removal of the group CTO role.

The core teams from the former CTO line, such as business middle‑platform and supply‑chain middle‑platform, have been merged into Alibaba's domestic digital commerce segment, which includes Tmall and Taobao, while other teams have been absorbed by subsidiaries, most notably Aicheng Technology.

According to insiders, former CTO Wu Zeming now holds the title of CEO of Aicheng Technology and continues to report to group CEO Zhang Yong.

Aicheng Technology is a wholly‑owned subsidiary of Alibaba, legally represented by former CTO Cheng Li (nickname "Lusu"). Many view it as an "internal outsourcing" unit: employees sign contracts with Aicheng but work on Alibaba projects, lacking full access to Alibaba’s internal network.

As a result, many engineers have been transferred to Aicheng, a move that has caused concern among staff. Additionally, recent changes include the merger of Ele.me’s in‑store services (formerly Koubei) with Gaode Maps, and Feizhu’s separation from the local life business line.

This restructuring means that six major business groups—Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, Taobao/Tmall Commerce, Local Life, Cainiao, International Digital Commerce, and Big Entertainment—must now request or purchase technical services from Aicheng.

The disappearance of the CTO role reflects a broader shift away from the "big middle platform" strategy that Alibaba has pursued since 2015, moving toward lighter, more agile front‑end structures.

In a company‑wide letter, CEO Zhang Yong announced the "1+6+N" organizational transformation, emphasizing the need to thin out middle‑platform functions and empower product teams.

This change is part of Alibaba’s ongoing effort to dismantle its cumbersome middle platform and build a more agile organization, suggesting that the CTO position may be a relic of a past era.