SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Lazada Group, a Southeast-Asian e-commerce company backed by Alibaba Group Holding, appointed Pierre Poignant as its new chief executive officer (CEO) on Thursday as part of its succession planning.

Poignant, the company’s executive president, will succeed Lucy Peng as CEO with immediate effect, Lazada said in a statement. Peng will remain executive chairwoman.

Poignant’s appointment marks Lazada’s second CEO change this year. He has led the development and expansion of Lazada’s logistics footprint in Southeast Asia, which is shaping up as a major battleground for technology giants.

One of the 18 founders of Alibaba, veteran executive Peng took over as the company’s CEO earlier this year, after Alibaba doubled its investment in Lazada to $4 billion. She replaced Lazada’s founder Max Bittner.

Launched in 2012, Lazada operates in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.