Zalando appoints new co-CEO as it adjusts the responsibilities of its management board
Zalando has announced that its co-founder David Schneider is to hand over his co-chief executive responsibilities to David Schröder who is currently working as the online retailer’s chief operating officer.
This will enable Schneider to focus on building partner relationships across Zalando’s B2C and B2B businesses by moving into a management board role.
Schröder has been part of Zalando’s senior management team since 2010, serving as chief financial officer until 2022 and as SVP convenience until 2019.
Schneider said: “One of Zalando’s strengths has always been to adapt our strategy and rotate the roles and responsibilities of its strong leadership team to make sure everyone complements each other and serves the ever-changing needs of customers and partners.
“We are thrilled that David Schröder, who has been an integral part of Zalando’s success story since the early days in 2010, will take on the co-cEO role to scale our B2B growth vector.”
Meanwhile, Astrid Arndt, Zalando’s chief people officer, has taken on additional responsibility for strengthening the company’s corporate functions.
With all changes due to come into effect from 1 September, Zalando co-founder Robert Gentz will continue in his role as co-chief executive with a focus on expanding Zalando’s B2C growth vector.
Schneider and Gentz co-founded Zalando in 2008 and since then the company has grown from a startup selling flip-flops online out of a flat in Berlin into a leading European e-commerce company serving 50 million customers in 25 markets.
Kelly Bennett, chairperson of the Zalando supervisory board, said: “15 years after Zalando was founded, new commercial opportunities are opening up as consumers and partners have new expectations and needs.
“The adjusted management board responsibilities will help this strong group of executives and Zalando’s first-class teams from around 140 countries execute the ecosystem strategy in the most impactful way and embrace the exciting opportunities ahead of them.”
