Netease.com (NTES) announced that its board of directors has appointed the company's founder William Lei Ding as the company's Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

Ding is also the company's majority shareholder, and had previously served, among other positions, as Chief Architect since March 2001. Ding has also served on Netease's board of directors since July 1999.

Denny Lee, Chief Financial Officer, and Michael Tong, Chief Operating Officer, had temporarily assumed the responsibilities of Chief Executive Officer after the Company's previous CEO, Ted Sun, passed away in September 2005.

Lei's original departure from the company's CEO position came in 2001, amid the company's fears of delisting and many other top executives' departures.