(Yicai Global) May 31 -- Midea Group is promoting the 41-year-old president of its refrigerator division to vice president as the Chinese home appliance giant pumps young blood into its core team to help it better navigate the digital age.

Bai Lin is the second-youngest senior executive to be appointed by the Foshan, southern Guangdong province-based company this year. A few months ago, 40-year-old Zhong Zheng was made chief financial officer and finance director.

“Times have changed, and companies are operating in a different environment. It is no longer possible to just rely on past experience and previous ways of doing things,” Wei Jun, founder of Zhiyu Consulting, told Yicai Global.

“In this digital age, modern companies need young managers because they know how to use social media and understand what young consumers want,” he added.

Midea told Yicai Global that Bai’s duties have yet to be decided.

Bai joined the firm in 2003 and has served as general manager of the Refrigeration Business Group Asia Pacific, general manager of the overseas and domestic marketing arms of the refrigerator division and president of the refrigerator division, the company said.

Bai is not the only young person to benefit from the white good maker’s emphasis on youth. Four members of its new environmental, social and governance committee, set up the same day that Bai was appointed, are aged between 40 and 48, Yicai Global learned.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Kim Taylor