David Schneider

David Schneider is a distinguished German entrepreneur and co-founder of Zalando SE, Europe's leading fashion e-commerce platform. Born in 1982 in Witten, Germany, Schneider has been instrumental in transforming online retail across Europe since co-founding Zalando in 2008 alongside Robert Gentz. What began as a startup selling flip-flops from a Berlin apartment has evolved into a €10.3 billion revenue company serving over 51 million active customers across 25 European markets. As a member of Zalando's Management Board since 2024, Schneider focuses exclusively on building strategic partnerships across the company's B2C and B2B ecosystem, a role that underscores his vision for the future of e-commerce infrastructure. His leadership philosophy emphasizes adaptability and strategic evolution, stating that "Zalando's strength has always been to adapt our strategy and rotate roles to serve ever-changing customer and partner needs." Under his co-leadership, Zalando has expanded from a pure-play fashion retailer into a comprehensive ecosystem offering logistics, marketing, and software services to brands and retailers. Schneider's strategic foresight has positioned Zalando's B2B operations as a multi-billion euro opportunity, leveraging the company's technological infrastructure and logistics network to serve businesses across Europe. His transition from Co-CEO to strategic partnerships in 2024 demonstrates his commitment to building the next phase of Zalando's growth, focusing on deepening industry relationships and expanding the company's platform capabilities. Schneider's entrepreneurial journey exemplifies the evolution of European tech leadership, combining operational excellence with visionary strategic thinking to build sustainable competitive advantages in the rapidly evolving e-commerce landscape.