ByteDance Hires Skadden Lawyer as CFO While IPO Remains in Limbo

ByteDance Ltd.hired Julie Gao from international law firm Skadden as its new chief financial officer, filling a position that has largely been vacant throughout the social media giant’s decade-long history.

Gao, who counseled tech companies on initial public offerings and other types of financing, will work out of ByteDance’s offices in Hong Kong and Singapore, Chief Executive Officer Liang Rubo said in an internal memo seen by Bloomberg News. A ByteDance spokesperson confirmed Gao’s hiring.

The announcement will likely revive speculation about ByteDance’s potential IPO, which could be one of the largest Chinese tech debuts in years. But the ...