As part of its Women’s History Month coverage, Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) highlighted two women executives from Alibaba to share how Alibaba helps U.S. businesses succeed in China. Janet Wang, Alibaba’s Luxury Division Chief, runs Tmall’s Luxury Pavilion, which features more than 200 of the top global luxury brands in the world, including U.S. brands such as Marc Jacobs and Coach. In her interview, she noted that by 2025, China is set to become the world’s largest luxury market, and Chinese consumers are expected to account for nearly 50% of the global luxury market.
“My team and I are sharply focused on building the digital infrastructure to help brands reach their consumers effectively,” Wang told WWD. “We are also very focused on helping them understand today’s luxury shoppers so they can customize and adapt their strategies to the Chinese consumer. It’s a collaborative process.” Read more about Wang’s work with U.S. brands here.
Christina Fontana, director of strategic partnerships at Alibaba, spoke about the trajectory of her career and her advice to young women leaders.
“In this rapidly changing environment, two leadership skills are key for success today,” said Fontana. “First, have the patience to deal with daily chaos and constant change. Second, understand the power of effective feedback. Feedback is an important tool for both mentoring team members and for advocating for ourselves and changes in our organization with our leaders.”
Find out more about Christina’s advice for the next generation of women leaders.