Alibaba head of European operations steps down

Alibaba has to look for a new chief executive to oversee its European business after confirming that previous manager Terry von Bibra has left the company.

Terry von Bibra has worked for the Chinese online retailer since November 2015 and most recently held the position of general manager Europe. Von Bibra, who was the former manager of German department store chain Karstadt, left Alibaba in December, his LinkedIn account indicates.

"Terry did an amazing job in his four years with Alibaba", said a spokeswoman for the Hangzhou China-based group. “We were glad to have him on board and wish him all the best for the future.”

During his time at Karstadt, von Bibra was responsible for the omnichannel division. Prior to that, he spent time at Yahoo! Marketplaces and Amazon.