20190516 cover sidebar

Daniel Zhang Yong, right, the chairman-in-waiting of Alibaba. Current Executive Chairman Jack Ma Yun, left, has "[been preparing] this succession plan for 10 years," he says. © Reuters

When the guru steps down: tech companies face the succession question

Jack Ma has been gradually handing power to Daniel Zhang for years

PALO ALTO, U.S./TAIPEI -- The task of finding a successor to the founder of a big-name American technology company has proved to be one of the most difficult management challenges in business.

Apple founder Steve Jobs was replaced twice -- once successfully, once not. Bill Gates' successor, Steve Ballmer, struggled to escape the shadow of the Microsoft founder. Other examples, notably the case of Google, have gone more smoothly.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored ContentThis content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.