Kelly Bennett nominated as Zalando SE Supervisory Board Chairperson, Susanne Schröter-Crossan proposed as new member    

• Proposed new Zalando SE Supervisory Board composition will ensure continuity, add fresh insights and provide an orderly succession for Chairperson
• Kelly Bennett nominated as Chairperson of the Supervisory Board to succeed Cristina Stenbeck, who has decided not to stand for re-election
• In addition to Kelly Bennett, Jennifer Hyman, Niklas Östberg, Anders Holch Povlsen, Mariella Röhm-Kottmann are standing for re-election as shareholder representatives
• Susanne Schröter-Crossan proposed as a new independent member

Berlin, April 11, 2023 // Zalando, a leading European online platform for fashion and lifestyle, today published the invitation to its Annual General Meeting, which will be held virtually in Berlin on May 24, 2023. The Supervisory Board Nomination Committee is proposing a new composition of the Supervisory Board that will ensure continuity, fresh insights and provide a logical succession for the  Chairperson role.

Current deputy Chairperson Kelly Bennett, who has been a member of Zalando’s Supervisory Board since 2019 and serves as an advisor to the leadership teams of Microsoft, Strava, Nubank  and was formerly Chief Marketing Officer at Netflix, is proposed to become Chairperson. He would succeed Cristina Stenbeck, who has decided not to stand for re-election. In addition to Kelly Bennett, the Nomination Committee proposes Jennifer Hyman, Niklas Östberg, Anders Holch Povlsen and Mariella Röhm-Kottmann to be re-elected as shareholder representatives. The Nomination Committee has further recommended electing Susanne Schröter-Crossan, who brings expertise in finance, technology and supervision as well as Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) topics, as an independent member of the board.

“We look forward to working with the renewed Supervisory Board post the Annual General Meeting of shareholders. Kelly’s tremendous technology experience, focus on operational excellence and track record of building beloved global consumer brands will continue to be a great asset going forward. We are also excited to welcome Susanne with the robust financial expertise she brings to her Supervisory Board engagement,” said Robert Gentz, Founder and co-CEO of Zalando. “On behalf of Zalando, I would also like to thank Cristina for her long-term years of commitment to our Supervisory Board and her helpful advice. She has been a valued friend, trusted advisor and insightful shareholder over many years.”

Stenbeck will continue to serve until the date of the Annual General Meeting on May 24. She has served on the Supervisory Board over several terms, from 2014 to 2016 and then again from 2019 to 2023.

“It’s been a true privilege to work with my fellow Supervisory Board members as well the Co-CEOs and broader Management Board. On behalf of the Nomination Committee, we are so pleased that Kelly is prepared to assume the role of Chairperson. He represents a unique mix of skills from his background in content, scaling global platform businesses and the growth mindset he brings to our team through his experience with Netflix, Spotify, Strava and Nubank,” said Cristina Stenbeck, Chairperson and member of the Nomination Committee. “Kelly has also had meaningful dialogue with key stakeholders including investors, and has served during his two board terms on the Audit Committee and the Remuneration Committee. He also personally chairs the Nomination Committee as well as the Diversity & Inclusion and Sustainability Committee. It is the Nomination Committee’s clear view that the Supervisory Board will benefit from the continuity of Kelly’s valuable perspectives across a number of important Zalando Group initiatives.”

Schröter-Crossan was most recently Chief Financial Officer of residential real estate company LEG Immobilien SE, where she was also a member of the ESG steering committee. Prior to that she held roles in Corporate Finance in Frankfurt am Main, Hong Kong and London. Currently, she has a supervisory board mandate at HelloFresh SE. Susanne’s intention is to join the Audit Committee as an additional financial expert post the Annual General Meeting of shareholders.

“I’m delighted that we are nominating Susanne as an independent member for the Board. She brings exactly the right experience and expertise to be part of Zalando's future journey,” said current deputy Chairperson Kelly Bennett, who is also the Chairperson of the Supervisory Board’s Nomination Committee. “On a personal note, I am excited  to continue serving on Zalando’s Supervisory Board and it would be an honour to serve in the position of Chairperson, supporting Zalando’s Management Board as it executes its vision for growth over the coming years.”

The terms of the three Zalando employee representatives on the Supervisory Board continue until the Annual General Meeting 2025.

The full invitation to the Annual General Meeting 2023 of Zalando SE is available on corporate.zalando.com.

Media inquiries
Carolyn Groß
Sheenagh Matthews
Business & Financial Communications
press@zalando.com

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