LI Guo, the former CEO of supermarket chain Yonghui Superstores, has been appointed as the CEO assistant of Alibaba's grocery arm, Hema. The news was confirmed by the company to Jiemian News on Saturday.

Hema CEO Hou Yi expressed his appreciation for Li's over 20 years of retail experience, calling it a valuable asset to Hema. He hopes to integrate Li's experience with Hema's digital capabilities to explore innovative business strategies and bring new ideas to the development of Hema and the retail industry.

Li, aged 45, had been with Yonghui Superstores since 2001 and served as its CEO from 2019 until his resignation in August 2021. He left the board of Yonghui last year.