Lionel Desclée appointed as new CEO at Zooplus SE

Zooplus SE announces the appointment of Lionel Desclée as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and member of the Executive Board with effect from 15 September. Desclée is an internationally renowned manager with extensive leadership experience in retail, e-commerce and the pet industry. He will take over the management of the online platform for pet supplies at a time when the company is looking to further expand its market leadership, deepen its customer relationships and actively shape the future of the pet industry in Europe, the company reported in a press release on  3 September. Desclée's predecessor, Geoffrey Lefebvre, left Zooplus in November.

The supervisory board emphasises the close alignment between Desclées' expertise and leadership experience and Zooplus' strategic direction. “With his in-depth knowledge of the industry, his strong customer focus and his proven track record in implementing digital growth strategies, he is the ideal person to drive zooplus's next phase of growth,” said Stefan Götz and Johannes Reichel on behalf of the supervisory board.

Zooplus has built a trusted and strong platform in recent years that today forms the heart of a unique ecosystem for pet owners across Europe, said Desclée. “Further developing this potential is an exciting task for me.”

Most recently, Desclée was Group CEO of The Very Group, one of the largest online retailers with integrated financial services in the UK. Prior to that, he was President and CEO of Walmart Japan (Seiyu), where he successfully improved customer satisfaction and business results. Previously, he was at the helm of Tom&Co, a leading omnichannel provider in the home and pet segment. He began his career at Ahold Delhaize, spending more than a decade in various positions across Europe and the United States.