Ant Group has reorganized its online payments operations by creating a new business unit dedicated to Alipay, merging its Digital Payment Business Group, Alipay Business Group and Zhima Credit Business Group, in an internal letter from CEO Cyril Han Xinyi on Monday. The move accompanies a sharpened focus on artificial intelligence and what Ant calls “agentic commerce” to drive new growth.
Ant, an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, also appointed Wu Minzhi, a veteran executive at Ant and previously at Alibaba, to lead the new Alipay Business Group while serving as Ant’s chief people officer.
Alipay consolidation
The company said the restructuring is intended to “further consolidate technology, product and ecosystem capabilities and strengthen the merchant service system,” according to the CEO’s letter. The merger brings digital payments, Alipay operations and Zhima Credit under a single Alipay-focused unit.
AI and “agentic commerce” focus
Ant signaled that the reorganization is part of a broader effort to sharpen its artificial intelligence strategy around “agentic commerce,” positioning the new Alipay unit to leverage AI-driven products and services to pursue new growth opportunities.
