Zalando boss to quit ‘to prioritise wife’s career’

A chief executive of Europe’s largest online fashion site has announced plans to step down from his role, saying his wife’s “professional ambitions should take priority”.

Rubin Ritter has been co-CEO of Zalando since 2010.

The company, which began as a Berlin-based start-up 12 years ago, today has 36m customers and recorded revenue of €1.85bn (£1.6bn) last quarter.

He will step down in May, cutting short a contract that runs to late-2023.

“My wife and I have agreed that for the coming years, her professional ambitions should take priority,” Mr Ritter said in a statement.

“I want to devote more time to my growing family. After more than 11 amazing years where Zalando has been my priority, I feel that it is time to give my life a new direction.”

The statement gave no further details about his wife or her job.

Zalando’s other two bosses, Robert Gentz and David Schneider, will continue to lead the company, the firm said.

Mr Ritter was in charge of strategy and communications on the three-way management team, but he was also finance chief until last year.

Commenting on Mr Ritter’s decision, Mr Gentz said: “When we started to ship the first shoes to our customers from the basement of our office, we did not know where the journey would lead us.

“It is impossible to overstate Rubin’s impact on Zalando’s success.”

Zalando’s customers are spread across 17 countries. The online platform sells accessories and beauty products alongside fashion.