Alibaba Group has announced that Zhang Wei, the former COO of Star Group China, formally joined Alibaba Group.

According to Cai Chongxin, CFO of Alibaba, Zhang Wei will be senior vice president and in charge of the strategic investment department of the group. Her main responsibilities will be to help Alibaba and its subsidiaries evaluate trends of new businesses through cooperation, investment and acquisition, and to grasp new strategic opportunities in the Internet industry.

As the former COO of Star Group China, Zhang Wei was in charge of Star's overall business in China, including program making, marketing and the development of new media and businesses. Before that, she has been general manager of GE's CNBC in the China area and worked in several other subsidiaries of GE.

The former vice president for strategic investment of Alibaba is Tian Jian, who left the group in February 2007.