NEW YORK — The Chinese Internet giant Alibaba Group said Monday that it has hired James Wilkinson, formerly a senior official of the Treasury Department, as its head of international corporate affairs.
The hiring comes as Alibaba moves toward a stock market listing in New York, a global coming out of sorts for the company.
Wilkinson, known as Jim, was most recently at PepsiCo. He will be in charge of building out Alibaba’s international corporate affairs operation. Wilkinson joined PepsiCo in 2012 from the Brunswick Group, a communications firm.
He is perhaps best known for his work as the chief of staff for then-Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr., serving in that role during the financial crisis.
He also previously served as a senior adviser to Condoleezza Rice while she was secretary of state.
It is that government and international experience that Alibaba hopes to benefit from in its growing role as an Internet giant.
“As Alibaba extends our platform for entrepreneurs and small businesses around the world, it is important that we have the right people in place who have a track record of building bridges across geographic boundaries,” Jack Ma, Alibaba’s cofounder and executive chairman, said in a statement.
“Jim is a proven team builder and leader in global corporate affairs with a strong track record of integrity, passion and commitment that reflect the Alibaba values,” said Joseph Tsai, Alibaba’s vice chairman.