Both in personality and skillset, Alibaba's Daniel Zhang will herald a new era for the Chinese e-commerce giant when he takes over full leadership from charismatic founder Jack Ma.

Ma announced on Monday that in exactly one year he will hand the executive chairmanship of Alibaba's board to Zhang, CEO since 2015. Outwardly at least, their differences could not be more stark. Former English teacher Ma, 54, has become a globally recognised figure through his constant travel and playful antics such as impersonating Michael Jackson at a company event last year.