Post by Lara Katinka Zscherlich

After 13 years at Zalando, it’s time for a new chapter. There is rarely a perfect moment for a decision like this — especially when you feel so deeply connected. Even so, after more than a decade at Zalando, I’ve decided to move on. Looking back, what made these years so special was the constant evolution — the opportunity to work with exceptional people, tackle new challenges together, and shape the business, often far beyond departmental or hierarchical boundaries. Along the way, I had the privilege of leading and building several parts of the business. I was part of launching EMEZA as Zalando’s early move into luxury and designer fashion, later driving Zalando’s mobile-first shift and scaling our app business. From there I moved on to co-shaping the Lounge business, building its demand organisation, and more recently accelerating CRM. It was remarkable to be part of Zalando’s transformation — from a fast-growing start-up into a publicly listed company, and from an online retailer into a leading fashion and lifestyle platform that has evolved into a broader ecosystem. Experiencing how strategy systems, organisational structures, processes, and approaches to leadership and talent development matured over time shaped me profoundly. I’m deeply grateful to the many people who were part of  this journey. My first thanks go to early supporters like Katharina Kirschenmann, Dorothee Seedorf, Lothar Krause and Oliver Roskopf, with whom I had many valuable conversations even before I officially joined Zalando. I’m incredibly grateful to the leaders who played such an important role in my journey — Julia Stern, Martin Rost and Attila Jakab. Each of you leads in your own distinct way, and working with you helped me grow in different ways over the years. I also had the privilege to work with and lead exceptional teams. Watching you grow and shape your careers has been one of the most rewarding parts of this journey, and I’m very proud of you. A special thank you to the leaders in my teams — especially Adam Bochenek, Konrad Gruber, Caterina Corfini, Kaoane Stival, Fabian Fischer and Dirly De Schrijver. I’m equally grateful to the many colleagues and partners across the Zalando who inspired and challenged me along the way - including Katrin Breckner, Norman Nielsen 🚀, Charlotte Preut, Ortrun Schneider, Dr. Torben Hansen, Samantha Wnuk-Greger, Kristina Walcker-Mayer, Carsten Ernst, Sascha Lehn, Dorothee Schönfeld, Silvia Jakob, Christian Buchecker, Marie Steiner-Kastirr, Yana Nenadovich, Karen Kennes, Lissa Rao, Katharine McGinnis, Pedro Vale, Marc Feiertag, Alexander S., Dorothea Schoeneberg, Stefanie Franke-Mirrek, Miriam Strauß-Weber — and many others. I leave with many great memories. While I will miss Zalando and the many colleagues who made these years so special, I’m excited about what the next chapter will bring 🧡 #Zalando #Farewell #NextChapter