Zalando’s supervisory board has reappointed David Schröder as chief operating officer. According to the company, he will continue to expand Zalando’s European multi-channel logistics network and develop new growth opportunities, such as helping partners increase their direct-to-consumer business across various channels.
Chief business and product officer Jim Freeman is leaving Zalando as planned when his term expires on March 31, 2023. He has been instrumental in developing Zalando’s strategy to deepen customer relationships and become the go-to source for fashion that consumers gravitate to for all their fashion needs, and he has successfully led the execution of that strategy. He leaves the company having helped transform it into an even more customer-centric and scalable business. With his help, Zalando has developed and rolled out an updated operating model to build even closer relationships with customers and partners across its 25 markets. Freeman, who joined Zalando’s board in 2018, first as SVP technology and then as chief business and product officer, will work closely with the board and executives on his transition and remain closely connected to the company after that.
Cristina Stenbeck, chairwoman of Zalando’s supervisory board, commented, “We are absolutely thrilled to continue working with David Schröder as Chief Operating Officer as he further scales Zalando’s unique capabilities and offerings. David had a tremendously profound impact on our business; his work is crucial to unlock new growth opportunities. The Supervisory Board also wishes to express its gratitude to Jim Freeman for his leadership and execution of the overall strategy.”
Zalando’s updated operating model now aligns the company further with its strategic ambitions. The model will allow Zalando to develop a deeper knowledge of local customers and different target audiences, ultimately leading to the right mix of offerings for each market. It will also enable teams to create compelling customer experiences and assemble the most relevant assortment to give customers more and more reasons to return.
“David Schröder has been an absolutely integral part of Zalando’s success story since 2010, and together, we have reached many company milestones on the journey from a start-up to a company that now serves over 50 million customers through its pan-European infrastructure,” said Zalando co-CEO Robert Gentz. “[Jim Freeman] has been crucial in making Zalando even more customer-minded, execution-focused, and innovation-driven – a task he took on over five years ago and that he has accomplished very successfully. We are grateful for his contributions to our journey during his time with Zalando, and we wish him all the best for his future pursuits.”
