Whenever you think of e-commerce in China, one name that pops up is Jack Ma of Alibaba, but there is another disruptor in the e-commerce industry who may not have made a statement in the West. His name is Richard Liu Qiangdong of JD.COM.
Richard Liu, also known as Qiangdong is a natural techie and the son of a cargo ship-owner from the poor Chinese province of Jiangsu, so it is probably understandable that this passion and entrepreneurial gift runs in the family.
Liu started as a start-up guy, tried his hand at the restaurant business, retail trading, and dealing with computer accessories before venturing into the internet world, where Richard Liu has now become a major disruptor in the online retail business.
JD.COM led by Liu Qiangdong, which began in 2004, is now among the big dogs in the industry and listed among the Fortune 500 companies, taking pride in its most intelligent logistic industry network in the world, giving competitors a run for their money. One of the strategies for his success in online retail is quality control. He sells directly to consumers, carries his inventory, and is responsible for the delivery of goods.
Currently, there has been speculation that Liu will step away from the day-to-day operations of JD.COM, a trend that has been seen in other big tech company owners, also following the allegation of rape, which he denied and was not charged. However, upon retirement, he will still retain his seat as the Chief Executive. See this article for more information about Richard Liu.
More about Liu Qiangdong on https://corporate.jd.com/liu-qiangdong-jd-ceo-about