The appointment of these two senior business leaders is another important milestone in Alibaba Group’s expansion in the European markets, a critical part of the company’s globalization strategy to serve as a “gateway to China” for international brands and businesses of all sizes. As a part of this international expansion and in order to better serve existing and future partners in Europe, the company will be opening country offices in Munich, Germany and Paris, France.

The Germany and France offices will assist current partners and local brands, retailers and government partners who want to access the large and growing Chinese consumer class looking for high-quality international products and services. A “one-stop shop” for local business that will encompass the entire scope of Alibaba Group’s ecosystem, Alibaba’s France and Germany country offices will help identify the most suitable local products for the Chinese market, help merchants sell on Alibaba’s platforms, assist with outbound and inbound logistics, and facilitate online payments for Chinese consumers and offline payments for Chinese tourists.

“In Europe, our top priority is to engage with existing local partners and help European brands, retailers, small businesses and government partners understand the opportunities China offers and how Alibaba can help them access this market,” said Michael Evans, president of Alibaba Group.

“We have hired strong leaders in Germany, France, Italy and the UK to connect the needs of local brands and merchants with the capabilities of our ecosystem. Both Terry and Sébastien have proven track records in successfully building teams and business capabilities for major international companies and we are thrilled to have them on board.”

Terry von Bibra brings a wealth of experience in the global omnichannel and e-commerce retail sector to this new role. Prior to joining Alibaba, he was Chief Retail Officer Omnichannel for German department store chain Karstadt.

He previously played a pivotal role in establishing Amazon in Europe where he led online marketing and business development. Terry has also held multiple roles within Yahoo!, including Managing Director of Yahoo! Germany, Vice President of Central Europe and Vice President Marketplaces for Yahoo! EMEA

Sébastien Badault has been running French operations for international online and e-commerce brands for the past 15 years. As one of the first employees for both Amazon France and Google France, Sébastien drove sales and marketing teams to build local market share and enhance the online ecosystems for each organization.

Most recently, he was responsible for the development of Google’s strategic customers in Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa as Global Account Director. Prior to joining Google, Sébastien held the role of European Business Development Manager for Amazon.