Meituan Dianping co-founder Wang Huiwen to retire amid management revamp

One of the co-founders of Meituan Dianping, Wang Huiwen, is expected to retire this year, as China’s largest on-demand services provider conducts a revamp of its senior management.

Wang, who has served as senior vice-president at Meituan since 2010, will step away from his daily duties by December, but will remain as a board member and serve as a consultant, according to a company statement on Monday.

“Carrying on our mission of ‘eat better and live better’ over the coming decade would require generations of new growing leaders,” said Wang Xing, Meituan’s co-founder and chief executive, in an internal letter, the transcript of which was verified by the company.

Beijing-based Meituan also announced it will roll out a talent pipeline development programme to improve the process for reviewing staff, increase rotation opportunities and train successors.

Wang, 41, has been responsible for Meituan’s on-demand delivery business and new initiatives. He was a graduate of Tsinghua University, where he was a roommate of Meituan chief Wang.