(BLOOMBERG) -- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s Lazada Group is creating a new role to lead payments in Southeast Asia for the first time, and tapped a former Alipay executive for the position, according to people familiar with the matter. Dayong Zhang, former general manager of Southeast Asia for Ant Group Co.’s Alipay, will become Lazada’s head of payments, underscoring the e-commerce company’s strategic move to generate growth from the business, according to the people, who asked not to be named. James Chang, Lazada’s Singapore chief executive officer, will take on a broader regional role, becoming the group’s chief business officer, they said. Wee Lee Loh, head of Lazada Group CEO’s office, will replace Chang as the Singapore chief, the people said. Chang was appointed Lazada Singapore CEO in 2019 after joining as co-founder and managing director of Lazada Philippines in 2012, according to his LinkedIn page.
