Alibaba recently released its FY2025 annual report, revealing another round of streamlining within its Alibaba Partners program. This year, nine partners have stepped down, reducing the total count from 26 to 17.

Among those who have resigned are prominent figures: Fang Yongxin, Sun Lijun, Wu Wei, Peng Lei, Dai Shan, Zhang Yong, Yu Yongfu, Song Jie, and Zhu Shunyan.

Notably, Peng Lei and Dai Shan are members of Alibaba's esteemed "Eighteen Arhats," the true pioneers of the company. Zhang Yong, the former CEO of Alibaba, is also among the departed, having personally spearheaded the Singles' Day shopping festival and guiding Alibaba from the PC era into the mobile internet wave. Over the past two years, Zhang Yong has gradually taken a step back.

In general, the departing partners are either no longer in charge of core businesses or have already retreated to less prominent roles. This move aligns with Alibaba's long-standing rule that partners must step down automatically if their positions change or they reach a specified age.

A crucial aspect of this change is the absence of new partners joining the ranks. The remaining 17 partners are all leading figures in core businesses and technical experts.

The current lineup of 17 partners includes: Fan Luyuan, Jiang Fan, Jiang Fang, Jiang Jiangwei, Liu Zhenfei, Ma Yun, Shao Xiaofeng, Tong Wenhong, Joe Tsai, Wan Lin, Wang Lei, Wen Jia, Wu Yongming, Wu Zeming, Yu Siying, Zhang Jianfeng, and Zheng Junfang.

Veterans like Ma Yun, Joe Tsai, and Wu Yongming remain steadfast, while young leaders such as Fan Luyuan and Jiang Fan have also been included. These individuals have a keen understanding of current market trends, and Alibaba hopes they will lead the company into new horizons.

This adjustment to Alibaba's partner structure is not unprecedented. In 2022, the management of Ant Group withdrew from the Alibaba Partner organization, and nine partners resigned that year. Since Alibaba's IPO in 2014, the number of partners has fluctuated significantly, peaking at 38 and now standing at 17.

This change is part of Alibaba's ongoing proactive reforms and focus on its core businesses. With the entire internet industry embracing AI, Alibaba is no exception.

Since 2023, Alibaba has embarked on proactive reforms, concentrating on e-commerce and the two main areas of "AI+Cloud," while divesting non-core assets. This has resulted in improved performance and a significant boost in overall morale.

In a shareholder letter, Joe Tsai and Wu Yongming emphasized, 'Today's Alibaba is embarking on a new journey towards the AI era with the entrepreneurial spirit. The company must adopt a mindset of starting anew and operate like a startup.'