Li Yinan (WEI YAO)

Li Yinan, chief technology officer of Baidu Inc., operator of the world's most used Chinese search engine, has resigned. The company confirmed Li's departure on January 19.

Li, 40, is to become CEO of a wireless service portal of China Mobile, the world's largest mobile carrier by subscriber numbers, said Shanghai-based China Business News.

A tech genius, Li began his career at Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. in 1993 and became vice president of the largest networking and telecommunications equipment supplier in China at the age of 27. Between 2000 and 2006, he was CEO of self-founded Harbor Networks. After his firm was acquired by Huawei, he was named Huawei's chief telecommunications scientist and vice president.

Li joined Baidu in October 2008. During his tenure, he led the development of the company's next-generation search technology among other projects.