Robert Schwaerzle

E-Commerce Executive with a background in Operations, Technology and Business Transformation. I build scalable organizations, modernize systems and turn complexity into structure.

Berlin, Berlin, Germany

About

I spent more than 20 years working across retail, technology, operations and e-commerce. My career started in retail leadership, continued through technical operations and incident management at Zalando, and later moved into large-scale e-commerce transformation and executive leadership. As Managing Director of a regulated e-commerce company, I was responsible for operations, technology and organizational development. During this time, I led system modernization initiatives, warehouse digitalization, process restructuring and platform transformation while building sustainable profitability. My focus is simple: Create clarity in complex environments Build scalable operational structures Modernize systems without disrupting business Align technology with business goals I believe sustainable execution beats short-term optimization.

Experience

  • Strategic Advisor at Independent
    Aug 2025 - Present · 11 mos

    Independent advisory work focused on e-commerce, technology, organizational design and business transformation. Drawing on executive leadership experience across retail, technology and e-commerce environments.

  • Clickpool GmbH (On-site)
    • Chief Executive Officer
      Jan 2021 - Jul 2025 · 4 yrs 7 mos

      Led the operational, technological and organizational transformation of a multi-million-euro e-commerce business in a highly regulated and commercially challenging market. Oversaw e-commerce operations, technology, logistics and business development across the organization. Delivered sustainable profitability through process modernization, warehouse digitalization and organizational restructuring. Key Achievements - Established sustainable profitability through operational restructuring and cost optimization - Led a team of 22 employees across operations, logistics and e-commerce - Built and standardized a product data model covering 30,000+ products - Implemented full warehouse digitalization and scalable operational processes - Directed the strategic development of Magento and Akeneo platforms - Introduced AI-supported workflows and reporting structures - Managed critical external partners including payment providers and marketplaces

    • Project Manager
      Sep 2018 - May 2021 · 2 yrs 9 mos

      Led business-critical technology and transformation initiatives within a growing e-commerce environment. Responsible for platform modernization, systems integration and operational scalability. Key Achievements - Led the business-critical Magento 1 to Magento 2 migration (€240k budget) - Introduced Akeneo PIM to improve product data quality and governance - Implemented warehouse management solutions and logistics integration - Connected commerce, product and logistics systems into scalable workflows - Improved webshop stability, usability and operational efficiency

  • CEO at Dildoking.de
    Jan 2021 - Jul 2025 · 4 yrs 7 mos

    Led the operational, technological and organizational transformation of a regulated e-commerce business. Responsible for e-commerce operations, technology, logistics and business development. Delivered sustainable profitability through process modernization, warehouse digitalization and organizational restructuring. Key Achievements - Led a team of 22 employees across operations, logistics and e-commerce - Established sustainable profitability through operational restructuring and cost optimization - Built and standardized a product data model covering 30,000+ products - Implemented full warehouse digitalization and scalable operational processes - Directed the strategic development of Magento and Akeneo platforms - Introduced AI-supported workflows and reporting structures - Managed critical external partners including payment providers and marketplaces

  • Technical Support Manager at Zalando SE
    Sep 2013 - Jun 2018 · 4 yrs 10 mos

    Responsible for incident management and operational stability of large-scale e-commerce and fulfillment systems within one of Europe's leading digital commerce platforms. Key Responsibilities - Coordinated business-critical major incidents - Managed technical escalations across infrastructure and operations teams - Supported highly available systems operating across multiple data centers - Facilitated communication between engineering, infrastructure and business stakeholders - Drove rapid incident response and service restoration

  • Retail Leadership (Foundation Years) at Retail
    Jan 2000 - Aug 2013 · 13 yrs 8 mos

    Developed core leadership, operational and commercial management skills through multiple leadership positions in retail. Responsible for teams, business performance, inventory management and day-to-day operations. This period established the operational mindset that later shaped my work in technology, e-commerce and executive leadership.