Sahar Yousef
Cognitive Neuroscientist | Founder, Becoming Superhuman | Lecturer, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business | Focus, Productivity & Energy Expert
Ming Zeng
Former Chief Strategy Officer of Alibaba Group | Chairman of Alibaba's Academic Council | Founding Dean, Hupan School | Author of Smart Business | Thinkers50-Ranked
Ming Zeng is one of the world's leading authorities on strategy in the digital age, known as "the strategist behind Jack Ma." As Alibaba's Chief Strategy Officer for over a decade, he helped guide its rise to a $400 billion giant, and distilled it into his book Smart Business. On stage, he combines the rigor of a world-class scholar with the insight of an insider who helped build a technology empire.
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Ming Zeng biography
Ming Zeng is one of the world’s most authoritative voices on strategy in the digital age, the man widely known as “the strategist behind Jack Ma.” As the architect of Alibaba’s strategy for more than a decade, he had a front-row seat to, and a guiding hand in, one of the most remarkable corporate growth stories in history, and he has since translated that experience into a powerful new framework for how companies compete and win in an interconnected, data-driven world.
Business speaker Ming Zeng served as Chief Strategy Officer of the Alibaba Group from 2006 to 2017, working closely with founder Jack Ma as the company grew into a roughly $400 billion enterprise. Today he is Chairman of Alibaba’s Academic Council and the founding Dean of the Hupan School of Entrepreneurship, the elite business school established by Ma and other leading Chinese entrepreneurs. Drawing on that unparalleled vantage point, he wrote Smart Business, which argues that the classic “analyze, plan, execute” approach to strategy is losing relevance, and reveals what replaces it.
Network Coordination, Data Intelligence, and the Future of Strategy
At the heart of Zeng’s thinking are two forces he identifies as the new engines of value creation: network coordination, the orchestration of vast ecosystems of players, and data intelligence, the use of machine learning to make businesses “smarter” with every customer interaction. Together they underpin his vision of the “smart business” and the customer-to-business (C2B) model. A serious scholar as well as an operator, he was one of the seven founding professors of the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, taught strategy at INSEAD, and has published in the world’s leading management journals. His earlier book with Peter Williamson, Dragons at Your Door, was among the first to analyze how Chinese companies were disrupting global competition, and he has been ranked among the Thinkers50 most influential management thinkers. He holds a PhD from the University of Illinois.
As a speaker, Ming Zeng offers audiences something few can: the combination of a world-class strategy scholar and an insider who helped build a technology giant. He speaks on the future of strategy in the digital era, network coordination and data intelligence, building and orchestrating business ecosystems, the lessons of Alibaba’s rise, and how AI is reshaping competition. Audiences gain a rare, firsthand understanding of the forces transforming business, and a practical framework for navigating them.
Ming Zeng Speaking Videos
Ming Zeng - How Will Big Data and Cloud Computing Change Platform Thinking?
ZENG Ming of Alibaba: Big Data is the Future of the Internet
Ming Zeng Keynote Topics
Drawing on his book and his decade at Alibaba, Zeng argues that the classic "analyze, plan, execute" model of strategy is losing relevance in an interconnected, automated world. He introduces his framework for the "smart business," showing leaders how to compete when networks and algorithms, not five-year plans, increasingly drive value creation.
Zeng unpacks the two forces he sees as the engines of the new economy: network coordination, orchestrating vast ecosystems of partners and players, and data intelligence, using machine learning to improve continuously with every interaction. He shows how businesses in any industry can harness both to become smarter, faster, and more adaptive.
As the strategist behind much of Alibaba's growth, Zeng offers a rare insider's account of how the company built its ecosystem and reinvented commerce. He shares the strategic principles and hard-won lessons behind one of the great business stories of our time, and what leaders everywhere can learn from it.
Zeng explains why the most powerful companies no longer operate as standalone firms but as orchestrators of ecosystems. He gives leaders a framework for designing platforms, coordinating networks of partners, and creating the customer-to-business (C2B) dynamics that let ecosystems adapt and scale in ways traditional organizations cannot.
Speaker topics
FAQs on Booking Ming Zeng
Why Ming Zeng?
Booking Ming Zeng gives audiences an exceptionally rare combination: a world-class strategy scholar who was also the chief strategist behind one of the most successful technology companies on earth. As Alibaba's Chief Strategy Officer for over a decade, he helped steer its rise to a roughly $400 billion enterprise, and then distilled that experience into Smart Business, a landmark book on strategy in the digital age. Now Chairman of Alibaba's Academic Council and founding Dean of the Hupan School of Entrepreneurship, and ranked among the Thinkers50, he offers both intellectual rigor and genuine insider authority. For any organization trying to understand ecosystems, data-driven strategy, AI, or the rise of Chinese tech, his perspective is unmatched. He is an ideal speaker for events on strategy, innovation, technology, and digital transformation. To bring Ming Zeng to your next event, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
Who is Ming Zeng?
Ming Zeng is a Chinese business thinker, strategist, and academic, best known as the longtime Chief Strategy Officer of the Alibaba Group and strategy adviser to founder Jack Ma. He served in that role from 2006 to 2017 and is now Chairman of Alibaba's Academic Council and the founding Dean of the Hupan School of Entrepreneurship in Hangzhou. He is the author of Smart Business and co-author of Dragons at Your Door, a former professor at INSEAD and a founding professor of the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, and has been ranked among the Thinkers50 most influential management thinkers.
What is Ming Zeng's book Smart Business about?
Smart Business: What Alibaba's Success Reveals About the Future of Strategy is Ming Zeng's influential book on how strategy is changing in an interconnected, automated world. Its core argument is that the traditional "analyze, plan, execute" approach is being replaced by two new drivers of value: network coordination (orchestrating large ecosystems of players) and data intelligence (using machine learning to improve continuously). Drawing on his years inside Alibaba, Zeng introduces the "smart business" and customer-to-business (C2B) models as a blueprint for competing in the digital age.
What topics does business speaker Ming Zeng cover?
Ming Zeng speaks on the future of strategy in the digital age, network coordination and data intelligence, building and orchestrating business ecosystems, the lessons of Alibaba's rise, and how AI is reshaping competition. His keynotes suit events on strategy, innovation, technology, e-commerce, and digital transformation, especially for organizations seeking to understand ecosystems and Chinese tech. To book Ming Zeng as a speaker, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau.
How to book Ming Zeng as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Ming Zeng as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Ming Zeng's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Ming Zeng or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Ming Zeng speaking fee?
Ming Zeng speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Ming Zeng to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Ming Zeng.
How can I contact Ming Zeng?
We only work with Ming Zeng on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Ming Zeng and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Ming Zeng speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Ming Zeng for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Ming Zeng for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Ming Zeng is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Ming Zeng for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
