CEO Today Magazine October 2019 Edition

SPECIAL FEATURE www.ceotodaymagazine.com 2 In September Jack Ma stepped down as head of Alibaba, one of the world’s largest e-commerce companies. Dr Simon Hayward, CEO of Cirrus and author of The Agile Leader, delves into the lessons that every leader can learn from his carefully planned departure. Often the departure of a high-profile corporate leader makes the news because the departure is sudden and unexpected, or there is an unclear succession plan in place. Ma’s departure was not a surprise. In fact, he announced his retirement a year ago and has given his succession a great deal of thought. In a video posted last month, Ma said: “I’m the person always looking forward.” Ma has now officially handed over the reins to his handpicked successor, Group CEO Daniel Zhang. Over the past 12 months, he has worked closely with What Can Jack Ma’s Departure Teach us about Succession Planning By Dr Simon Hayward, CEO of Cirrus